Year 2000 Review, Part 1

Good evening once again to everyone! I write to y'all today as I reminisce
about the past year for myself, and all the memorable times I have had.
Anyways...tonight I proudly present the official "Chris Czaplicki Year 2000
in Review" - Part 1. This portion will cover the first six months of last
year. I will give short commentary at the end.

January 2000
------------
Ah yes...Y2K is here finally!!! Blow ur party whistles and scream like a
raging gorilla because it's a new millenium (wait a second -- no it's NOT).
But still we were all glad that all the fear of the Y2K bug was finally
slowing down...even though I still had to go thru looking at a bathtub
filled w/water, 3 boxes full of canned food (which we still haven't used up
yet :)...and countless jugs of h2o that would be able to quench the thirst
of a million thirsty camels (or horses, grizzly bears or overweight snow
leopards for that matter). Anyways, life was good and the new year had
started out with a bang!

To add to the craze even more, I had received a message from Geoff that he
had just been engaged to Vickie!!! Congrats, Geoff...glad to see that
everything is still going strong thru the year -- hope it continues on that
path!

Then reality set it a little...that is - when I received my first credit
card bills. It really wasn't that big of a deal at first, but it was the
beginning of a very long road for myself...I mean -- you know what happens
when you get a credit card; you spend a lot!!! And I did. Over the year
2000 I put over $12,000 in charges on my card. UGH. Luckily, I was able to
pay them off in full until the fall. But we'll discuss that in my next
e-mail, ok? Good!

I also continued taking classes at Tri-C in January, at the Unified
Technology Campus downtown. The classes were for budding computer techs,
and suffice to say I was well beyond the normal aptitude level of most (if
not all) of the students. It was still fairly interesting, 'cause there
were a lot of cool ppl in my class (all adults -- I was the youngest
there -- HAY -- people that were actually MATURE!). Anyways, I breezed thru
all the classes while attending approximately 30-40% of the time.

January also saw the continuing success of MTG-Palace.COM - My site which
sold Magic: the Gathering singles. This was a very good money-maker, and
business was booming (well, at least in a sense). Anyways, I got my domain
up and running...and I met this cool kid from Canada that helped my build my
website. His name was Trevor...he was 15 and had some cool ideas, so I let
him have fun and in turn he built a really good site for me. Everything was
going great at MTG-Palace for the time being. Organization was good...lots
of happy customers, and I was enjoying the extra income it was providing.

ZaFesting was still around it's peak. Things were really rockin' in the Za
Shack every weekend, as myself and a few of the Padua Seniors (Alex, Nally,
Mazzola) had tons of fun 'n' excitement escaping to another reality in the
form of shredding each other w/Rocket Launcers, shotguns, Razor Jacks and of
course...the GES BioRifle! It was so cool. Then Nally thought it would be
cool to build his own DOOM level. So in turn he created Padua.WAD -- a
level which was identical to Padua's floorplan, which special weaponry such
as the "Detention Launcher", Fish gun of course the patented "Pikachu 9000".
Yay. Double Yay. That was only a year ago!!! Wow, how much things have
changed!

And that was January. Never a dull moment...at least it seems that way now.
Life seemed just absolutely wonderful, and it was for the most part. Now on
to Febtober.

February, 2000
--------------
The first thing that comes to mind when you say the month February is that
my birthday lies inside!!! And the same held true in 2000. That's right
everyone -- On February 11, I was born exactly 19 years before. I have been
living on this earth for a long time now, it seems. I remember when I was
5! Geez how things are sooo much different. Even from when I was 16! But
that was so cool...because with every birthday comes a big humungous
PARTY!!! And this year was no different. Yes...ZaFesting was in
full-swing, and so was Unreal Tournament! Yes my friends, remember the
times when Alex was Mr. SuperCamper -- and I like to jump around with a
loaded rocket launcher? Yep -- I definitely can recall!

But definitely the biggest thing of the month...and quite possibly the most
distinguishing event of the year was the start of my internship downtown.
The story was simple. I saw a job ad at school Thursday...sent a resume
Friday...went for an interview the following Monday and started work
Wednesday!!! Couldn't have gone any better for myself. And the 6 months I
was down there were absolutely amazing -- got to experience the "Real World"
for the very first time...very overwhelming at first, but definitely a great
experience overall. There really isn't that much more I can say, except for
the fact that I now had 2 jobs, so I was working quite a lot (50 hours/wk
average), but I was pulling in quite a bit of cash now. Which was very
good, except that it gave me the opportunity to spend even more money, which
isn't a fun habit to break!

February was also a month in which I had taken many a journey to Valex
Computer store. Geez...all the gas and time it took to run out there every
week and buy more and more and more computer schtuff. But it wasn't exactly
the most pleasant experience, I guess...but I really don't regret any of it.
Kinda tough to explain, actually. Ok, not really -- I'll go ahead:
Ordering online is so much more painless and cheaper!!! At Valex you had to
wait for 2 hours just to get service (usually on their big couch in the
store), that is -- if they were even open! And half the time you didn't
even receive what you wanted, because they didn't have anything in stock,
really. Oh well, I learned the hard way.

I had joined Padua once again as a 5th year Senior in the 4th annual
Buzzerpalooza Quiz Team tournament at Case Western. This time, I was part
of a Chimera team -- and beat the Homeschoolers!!!!!!! OH YES YOU DON'T
KNOW HOW GREAT OF A FEELING IT WAS! I really really wish those days were
still around. I had such a great time that day...even though Alex and I sat
in the waiting area playing smb2lev2.mid on the piano for like, an hour :)
But everything was just great. Some kind of wonderful, at least. Got to
see Allison and Mr. Cohen once again, as well as some old faces from
different schools (sorry, no bearded lady this time :(

There were a couple really annoying things that happened, though. First, my
car was being really stupid. Or at least, the performance was sub-par. I'm
talking about the malfunctioning fuel pump, which caused me to stall in the
intersection of State-Brookpark, as well as the onramp of I-480. You see,
my Camaro was sick. It would not accelerate, and the top speed reached 30
MPH, for the first 15 minutes of operation. That was VERY frustrating.
GRRR. But I got it fixed, and I wanted to take a roadtrip soon...which I
did. To the middle of nowhere, as usual (not to be confused with the first
Hanson album, which I am glad to say I DO NOT OWN). But that's that. Then
there was Alex's fun attempts at his own DOOM level, Tourney2.wad. Sorry
that it didn't work out, Alex. I know for a fact that must've been sorta
frustrating for ya. And in a sense, the DOOM era ended around that time.
Dangit.

March, 2000
-----------
March came in like a lion, and went out like a lamb. Or at least a very
saddened, broken one. It all started out absolutely great when spring break
had arrived for the college crew. March 3rd was the famed return of
GAG-LI-AR-DI fest, in which we furthered our skillz in Age of Empires 2.
Correctus. ZaFesting with everyone was once again in session, and it was
beginning to get warmer too! I was doing very well with work, and every day
seemed like a brand new adventure. Wow, seems like just an absolutely great
time, doesn't it?

Then spring break ended, but St. Patrick's Day was just around the corner.
Care to party? I sure did. Cyber-style! And that was the story of my life
in March, for the most part. I got a paycheck every week...and was ready to
spend every penny of it on some new toy or gizmo. A CD-Burner was the
gadget of choice for March, and so I now had the opportunity to make lots
and lots and lots of copies of games and muzak. Well...not especially,
since there really wasn't much time in my busified life to do so.

They say when it rains...it pours. Well, if there was ever a saying to
compare my life with at the time, this would be it. Or at least that's the
way I see it. Yes, I have to mention the rink at least 'once' in every
e-mail and my opportunity is finally here once again. But this time, it's
not good news for myself. The date was March 31st, a Friday night -- the
last open skate of the season at the rink. Anyways, as the story
goes...after skating we all were sorta excited about everything, and we all
kinda lost it, myself included. Yes, that was the day that I accidentally
hit a girl in the eye with a snowball. I threw it pretty hard, too.
Needless to say she went to the hospital, the parents were infuriated and I
was totally broken. And there's really no doubt why I felt that way...I was
not only fearing the almost certain loss of a valued job (moreless a way of
life), but also the loss of innocence that I had held for such a long time.
I felt terrible. I just remember seeing the girl (her name is Jessica)
crying as I helplessly stood there trying to provide any compassion that I
could. It took me a VERY LONG time to get over the entire ordeal. How
long??? I might want to say 'September' but it was very likely TODAY. Why
today??? Well, as the story goes -- Jessica came up to the rink tonight for
open skate...for the first time since the incident. I saw her, she smiled
at me and told me "no more snowballs" half-jokingly. But even though I felt
a little uneasy (and really didn't know what to say), it felt so good
knowing that we were finally at peace with the entire situation.

So that was March in a nutshell. Pretty much same ol' same ol' with a twist
at the end. And even though this twist was a negative one, at least
everything turned out just fine and dandy in the end.

APRIL, 2000
-----------
After the devastating ending of March came the promises of April. Reality
from the evening before had not totally set in on April Fools Day, in which
it was time for yet, another ZaFest!!! Yay. But not really, since I was
really in for some tough times in the next couple of weeks regarding my job
status at the rink. Eventually, everything was worked out and I had only
received a "stern warning" after reviewing my work history, etc. So I
continued working...and working...and working. And earning quite a lot of
cold, hard cash in the process. I didn't have any big bills or financial
obligations, and I spent very freely. I once wrote "money is growing on a
huge happy tree for me". I could hit myself over the head with a spiked
tree branch for saying that now. But that was reality then, I guess. And
there were a lot of things I looked forward to, such as the summer.

Computer gaming still went on strong, and I proposed to make things even
stronger. And so evolved the "Cyberpalace gamers league". A website that
would be dedicated to computer gaming, and everything related. I had
selected my corporate hierarchy, as well as the roles which everyone could
fill. Cyberpalace was a "brain trust". All of the directors were in fact,
"geniuses" so obviously that term was appropriate. I was very excited, and
even registered the CYBERPALACE.CC web domain. I thought things would take
off, but unfortunately, due to lack of interest, nothing much really
happened. Maybe I was too busy working my a$$ off. Or maybe we were just
happy as it was without the business portion. Oh well, there were other
opportunities.

Another exciting event (or thing, actually) was the initial construction of
the ZA File Server. Not too much to start off...ZA Server 1.0 was actually
nothing more than a 486 with 4 540MB Hard drives. It worked out fairly
well, since it was able to store small things, such as drivers, personal
files (e-mail) and other miscellaneous things that could be shared across
the network at anytime. Which was really fun at the time.

Easter was fun. Once again everyone was home, so it was another great
opportunity to gather all the pals 'round Da Shack for some entertainment.
And so we did, and the show went on as usual.

Unfortunately, at the same time my sister became very sick once again. And
when she's in the hospital, my parents aren't exactly the greatest when it
comes to handling situations. Oh well, I guess I have to live with it.
Grrr. Arrgh. I just wish my sister could just have the opportunity to
enjoy life without having to worry about getting sick all the time. If
only...

MAY, 2000
---------
The month of May continued just as April had left off. Except some things
were getting sort of ridiculous now. I was working 65 hours/week at one
point, and I was getting totally burnt out and unable to really do too much
else. But things were starting to turn around in that department. The rink
season was over (finally) and gave way to new horizons working senior grass
cutting. Which wasn't very exciting, but at least I was down to working a
consistent 40 hrs/wk. Although this didn't last long either. It was
apparent that the city job wasn't worth the pay, and I was beginning to
really despise getting up early every day with little reward or
satisfaction. By the end of the month, I had quite the grass-cutting job
all together.

Back at home, Cyberpalace had advanced considerably in a few short weeks.
Although the web page had never gained recognition, significant changes were
made to the Cyberpalace server. A permanent computer had been chosen to be
used as a file server, running Windows NT 4.0 At the time, my monitor stock
was low so I was forced to re-introduce the infamous Compaq color-blind
monitor :) And so life was good again. To top things off, I had hopes of
getting DSL service installed, but all my hopes came crashing down when
Ameritech decided to be stupid because they were totally backed up for
service, and they wanted to start charging me $40/mo. when they didn't even
know how long it would take to get the line up. Grrr again. Oh well, this
year will be different!

Not much else happened, but that was ok since summer was just a few short
weeks away. It had even started somewhat, since most of the colleges let
out during the month, and it was time to gather together once again to share
in all the great times.

JUNE, 2000
----------
If you remember anything about June, you'll definitely remember the
astounding increase in gas prices! That wasn't fun. But what else is new.
Now that school was out for everyone, and I was only working 25 hours/wk, it
was time to relax and take in the fun in the summer sun. Ok...maybe I
relaxed "too" much. Naaaah. I'm young...there's nothing wrong with takin'
it easy once in awhile. But not to the extent that I did...maybe. I was
starting to get all bent-outta-shape sorta, and it wasn't easy for myself to
do some things that maybe weren't as difficult before. So I decided to
start the "Get Chris Czaplicki in shape" campaign. OK -- it wasn't much of
a campaign. It involved myself riding my bike downtown and back one hot,
summer day. And I remember that day all-too well. The trip down there
wasn't that terribly bad, but on the way back I barely made it. Bear in
mind it was all uphill, and I wasn't really in the best-of-shape. So my
very tired and winded body struggled mightily to finally get back home.
That was tough. Maybe too tough. Whatever it was, I didn't do too much
biking or other exercise after that.

Back in January, I had mentioned that my MTG-Palace site was booming. Well
after a few months of steady decline fueled by a lack of motivation,
interest had all but dwindled to nothing. Still though, the new set
Prophecy had come out, and so I bought a case of cards, in which I received
some pretty amazing cards which kindled the fire of my interests. I put a
couple of my best FOIL cards on eBay, and they both sold for a hefty price,
so I was pretty happy about that. Otherwise, not too much happened, and I
was left with a binder full of unused cards and nowhere to go with them.

And as always, I got some more toys as well...ok - one very useful toy. And
that is my scanner. The ultimate HP Scanjet 3300 Cse. Ok, maybe not "the
ultimate" but it does the job, and for $100 it wasn't a bad deal. So I
scanned a few things, had fun and put it away for awhile. Even though I
don't use it much now, I think it will definitely be useful in the near
future with all my endeavors.

Padua's seniors graduated in June (congrats, again)...and so everyone was
able to have fun doing various things, such as holding and attending
graduation parties. Alex had a graduation party. It was fun. It was
exciting watching Alex and his dad play euchre. It was even funner playin'
b-ball with everyone (really wish I could do it more often). I had gone
swimming in the water. It was enjoyable. Even with all those warm pockets
where supposedly the "pee content" was above average. Yes, we all had phun.
There was a lot of chockablock action. There was a lot of high-flying
action. Nally introduced us to 'capture the flag'. Unfortunately, for
myself, I got injured -- which set off a huge daisy chain of other physical
problems that I will not discuss until July's analysis (you'll have to wait
until next week people).

So all in all, June could be summed up as "fun and inertia all in one".
Sure I was very, very lazy -- but I was enjoying life simultaneously. I
barely worked, and I definitely took advantage. Crazy, eh?


Ok, well, thats a wrap for the first half of 2K. From an outsider's point
of view, things were pretty "peach-ee" for myself, and I can agree that it
definitely was so. Still, the snowball incident cast a shadow over myself
for a very, very long time and I was never able to really get over the
entire matter. I dunno...I guess I'm pretty sensitive to that kinda
schtuff -- Ok I'm pretty sensitive all around.

The latter half of 2000 was interesting to say the least. A lot of good. A
lot of bad. A lot of ugly. Definitely not the same as the beginning of the
year. It was a huge roller-coaster ride. Wanna join and take a look back
at it? Then be sure to tune in next week at this locality. To have a
heaving helping of my ZA. (and hospitality even)

Cya L8R
-Chris

This Sucks!

This sucks. It really doesn't feel good when you got the feeling that
someone's jamming a screwdriver into your ear. Very painful. But that was
yesterday. Today my earache has vanished, but my terrible cold is still
here :( Oh well, maybe tomorrow I'll finally feel better. It's gonna be
warm too...like 40 or somethin'!

Anyone awake out there? Lemme know what's up w/everyone -- haven't really
gotten the opportunity for much chit-chattery as of late. Oh well...there
will be plenty of fun times!

And of course...I would like to announce that I will be sending out the
first E-ZA Weekly for 2001, either later today or tomorrow (I hope). I know
everyone's been hovering around their comps checking their e-mails every 5
minutes for it -- and guess what...the day may finally come? The subject?
Take a little trip back with me to 2000.

I'll see ya all later!
-Chris

January 5, 2001

Ok...I might sound like I'm rambling, and I probably am. But it's 4:12am
and I just feel like writing something.

Anyways, I went to the doctor yesterday and I had a whole bunch 'o' tests
done on me and schtuff. This summer I got really sick and my lungs were in
absolutely terrible shape. I had lost a lot of weight, and I felt really
bad at times, because all I did was sit in an office all day. I almost had
to be admitted into the hospital. Then, yesterday I learned that I was
finally back to normal after many months of very rigorous physical activity
(aka getting in shape :) - and everything else. NO Medicines -- Mr. ZA does
not believe in all these drugs -- the mind can do anything. And it did.

Oh well, I just like to say positive things as often as possible (especially
since so much undesirable schtuff happens a lot)...but I'm like that. And I
know all my friends like to hear good things too. And I know I have the
support of everyone, which keeps me going. I could've easily let things
slip this summer, and let myself get all fucked up and everything (excuse my
language, but that's really how I felt) But that's not how I wanted it --
if nothing else, I did it for all my family and friends. My life is so good
right now that there's absolutely no reason to be so careless like I was at
one point. But everything is good now. My next step is trying to finish
paying off all those credit card bills :) (I'm about halfway there -- I'll
give everyone another happy e-mail when that's done too!)

Allright, TTYL
-Chris

Best of Luck in 2001!!!

Just want to take time to wish each and every one of you guys (and gals) a
very happy and promising New Year!!! Hopefully things will go as well for
everyone as they have in past times...or even better! I know I'm looking
forward to a great time in 2001...there are just a few things I'd like to
let everyone be aware of:

I could go on for days and days writing all sort of New Years Resolutions
that would be impossible to follow, but instead I will spend about 30-45
minutes of quality time contemplating my goals to achieve during the next 12
months. Oh, and BTW -- before I begin I would like to invite everyone to
share their "Resolutions" as well...remember -- we're all family here :)

First the easy goals: (remember, the simple things are most important)
-Breath approximately 3.15 million times
-Consume between 1 million-1.2 million calories
-Write my name at least 2,000 times
-Write my name on the teacher's blackboard 0 times
-Work somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 hours
-Eat somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 hours (WHAT???) Hours = Chicken
Sandwiches
-Eat 0 Hot Dogs
-Eat approximately 125-150 Pizza Subs
-Eat approximately 300-500 pieces of P. Jay's Pizza
-Devour 200-300 Chicken Tenders Sandwiches
(I just realized that eating all the above would take me well over my
Calorie allowance for the year)
-Think 48 hours this year
-Sleep at least 122 hours this year
-Schleep around 3,000 hours this year
-Consume 1,000 gallons of gasoline in the Za Mobile
-Ice Skate 1,500 miles during Public Sessions
(The above will burn off all those Calories mentioned beforehand which will
allow for more consumption of drink)
-Drink 2,000 cans of assorted Cola
-Along with that, 25 gallons of SoBe Oolong Tea
-And possibly 3-5 gallons of milk (with cereal, of course)
-Maybe 1-1.5 ounces of alcohol (depending on how much mouth wash gets
trapped in my mouth's crevases)

Now the intermediate-level goals:
-Go to school 20-30 days of the year
-Sharpen 25 pencils
-Break or bite off 100-125 pencil erasers
-Clip my toenails 8 times

...and that concludes "intermediate goals"

And finally, the tough goals that will be really really hard to
accomplish...
-Make $1,000,000
-Be famous and release a triple-platinum musical album
-Get a 20,000 sq-ft. house with 3 swimming pools
-Use a calculator
-Explain the meaning of life
-Find a cure for Mad Cow Disease
-Find a way to clone Hot Dogs
-Find a way to process mozzerella cheese more efficiently
-Find a way for humans to eat Zebra Mussles
-Find a way to solve all the world's problems (aka the ZA Master Plan)
-Go on a game show involving myself winning great prizes!
-Hosting a game show involving myself giving great prizes!
-Becoming the spokesperson for the NAACP
-Becoming the official taste-tester for PEZ
-Becoming that one guy who introdeces the cast in the beginning of Saturday
Night Live
-Becoming the only person the of face of this planet that has NOT seen Pulp
Fiction
-Wandering off into deep space (my mind is doing that now, actually)
-Traveling to the Kew Gardens to fight the Giant Hogweed
-Visiting Mr. and Mrs. Lewinsky
-Taking a road trip to Dildo (the city, that is)
-Getting a REAL job
-Getting a REAL place to live
-Getting a REAL fan base (and not just the 100-150 screaming Shiloh girls
every Friday night)
-Getting a REAL
-Start talking coherently and actually making sense with things I say
-Sitting on the dock of the bay (wait...I did that for 10 years -- and it
was kinda boring)
-Create a monster (actually I've done that on numerous occasion -- I am good
for creating monsters -- think figuratively, everyone!)
-Carry a can of paint to the top of a water tower to defend my sister's
honor (well, she will be 40 this year)

and finally...
-Score big with...

um




are you still awake?



you really wanna know don't you




who will ZA score big with?




hrmmm...



i wonder I wonder




could it possibly be...





um, no...don't even ;)




the suspense is killing ya isn't it?







well don't worry any longer




I will say






someday that is






ok, I'll tell ya now






but only if you promise me one thing



you won't think I'm weird or anything






you can still think my tractor is sexy, though






you can still even call me ZA...if my dignity still deserves it

don't worry



be happy



drive happy






or just drive





WTF?






oh yeah...I was supposed to tell you who I was supposed to score big with






I think i forgot already...it's been so long







i think I remember again

Is there something wrong?





What am I saying?


Why would I ever reveal such a thing???





Oh well...I guess all of you are good friends of mine







...and some things are too good to be left a secret






OK - I feel ready now



ready and able



ready and willing able





to begin my pursuit of happiness



geez...what will it be?





any guesses amongst yourselves???





maybe??? Probably??? Any hints???




I hope you are still reading and not given up




if you scroll down straight to the bottom you are a huge loser






because the message is clearly stated somewhere in the above statements







You'll just have to "read between the lines"





Hrmm...what could I be have meant?





Think it over for a second...get all those thoughts thrown into one




Actually I was just kidding about that hidden meaning thing :)






Fooled ya!






I have just wasted approximately 15-140 minutes of your time






...And you still don't know




Fools





How could you ever think such a thing about me?




Grrrr....





What did I ever do to make you think that way about me?





Arrgh Arrgh





I can hear a sigh of relief coming out of your vocal cords at this time






But you still don't know...do you???





What ever






It's not important anyways...the whole thing was a joke


Big joke, that's all





I was going to say something really off-the-wall, but I don't want to say
anything too weird






But I'm really tired now and I don't want to think anymore





It's 4:02 AM and my mind is totally twisted right now





I guess if nothing else, I made you have fun







It's the least I could do


Life is good...and that way it shall remain





For years and years and years to come



So therefore, I wish everyone a very very happy new year!






By the time you get to the bottom of this message, it will already be 2002.



So Happy New Year again




And oh yeah...don't let the little mexican jumping beans get in places they
shouldn't ;)




Allright...I love ya all!!!
Everyone here is such a great friend to me
And I enjoy the company and everything
Really fun
And enjoyable
And there's no place I'd rather be...

-Chris A. Czaplicki
The ZA Meister
The REAL ZA Meister
And maybe even himself as well behind all the names and masques.

A Very Merry Christmas!!!!!!!

I don't really know who all has access to e-mail and whatnot, but that's really not the point...whether you read this on December 24th or January 17th the message is clear: ZA wishes everyone a very very happy Christmas...and oh yeah - a quite exciting new year as well!

As for plans next week...nothing is set in stone as of yet, but chances are we shall be gathering a great deal in the coming days. Which is always a grrrreat thing to do! Yeehaw! Anyways, I hope to go sledding w/everyone, as well as more fun and enjoyment with UNO and Mr. Peepers! ??? OK - Oh yeah, and the SoBe grape drink that tastes more like wine than anything...or whatever.

And I will also be hosting the new 3rd annual New Years ZA Fest!!!! Yes, you too can be a part of history as we bring in the new year with great fun.
It will probably also be a great time to give away some good prizes, so be sure to attend...you just might learn something!!! Oh yeah...if you don't already know, the party will be on Sunday, December 31st starting early in the afternoon and will last ALL NIGHT LONG! That's right, my friends! Hope to see y'all there!

Other than that, I think I will have a nice-sized ZaFest sometime mid-week next week, so I'll keep everyone posted as to what's going on. We shall also have a CyberPalace (or should we say CyberCampus) meeting sometime in that time period...or maybe 2 of 'em...or just maybe 3!!! Yuus!

Ya know...it's been a really really long time since I've written an E-ZA -- so maybe sometime soon I'll get one off the presses...I know everyone will be just ecstatic to read more of my hysterical writing!!!

Once again, a Very Merry Christmas!!!
-Chris A. Czaplicki

A warm Cyberpalace Christmas welcom!

Welcome. There, I said it :)

Anyways, I haven't really addressed all the Cyberpalace directors much over the past few weeks about the "State of the Palace", just because of the fact that not much has happened, and I have other personal endeavours that must be attended to. So I guess this is the first time since Thanksgiving break that I've had a chance to write an e-mail about Cyberpalace in general.

Then again, you guys know me pretty well so many of you can take things out of context...but I think during Christmas break we should have plenty of time to "discuss business" and hopefully lead Cyberpalace into a successful new year.

So tonight I'm going to address everyone with some of the changes/future plans regarding Cyberpalace. Nothing too drastic, but understand I have certain goals that I want to achieve, and must change some things around in order to pursue those goals. And I think everyone else will agree with my decisions. Once everyone is home from break I think we'll all be a little more open to talk about this.

Well, tonight was "Step 1" into transforming Cyberpalace...in a way. And as you may already know, that step was re-arranging my basement!!! Woohoo!!! I totally got rid of one of my tables (the big 8-foot one) so now I have compressed my "computer-space" down to 2 tables, which is fine, because that is all we shall need. The 2 tables will be able to hold 5 computers, which at this time is the maximum amount I want to have around down here (more on that later). It is no coincidence that there are 5 Cyberpalace Directors . Anyways, there is now a lot more open space down here to do other things, such as play cards, hang around and just have a plain old-fashioned good time. It seemed as though during these last few gatherings, many of us seemed a little, well, "bored" with some of the things we were doing. I was personally very agitated with the actions of some people , so I want to "cut-down" on the size of my "Cyberfests" to better accomodate my closest friends (and business partners at the same time!) Also, I think it will alleviate some tensions that I have placed on my parents, since I know that they trust you guys the most out of anyone -- and you guys know that as well, so there are many different reasons why I want to do this.

I don't want to get too in-depth about this issue, but I also want to clear up any misunderstandings by saying the above. The above decision I have made (with the help of others here) was done in the best interest of the "Cyberpalace Directors" meaning the 5 of us. It is very difficult sometimes to differentiate "Cyberfests" from regular "ZaFests" and the different circles of friends I share. But I want to make it clear that "Cyberfests" are meant exclusively for the 5 Cyberpalace Directors. If you have any questions or comments regarding this decision, please let me know and we shall discuss.

Once we all come back and meet again, we can move on to "Step 2" which is basically brainstorming ideas "together" (key word) and how we can all contribute, no matter how far away...or how slow of an internet connection we have :)

The best is yet to come!

Best Regards,
-Chris A. Czaplicki
President, ZA Enterprises

I'm so excited...

I'm about to lose control and I think I like it....wait....what???? I am listening to a Power Wheels commercial right now and I think I am losing my mind. And not the Papa Roach way either. Ok...whatever!

Christmas is only 14 days, 2 hours and 31 minutes away! How exciting! What can I say...the Christmas spirit is everywhere! Lots of schnoow is here, even though I think it is starting to melt, but...who knows? One thing is certain: sled riding is really fun...or maybe just funny :) Although today Eddie and I went and it was sorta pathetic because we attempted to coast on half-melted snow mostly on grass and mud. Therefore, our professionally-made sleds were unable to move in the mass of muck. Oh well, we had a good time nonetheless!

I can't wait until everyone gets back for next weekend. No big plans yet, but I know a few fun gatherings will sure be in store. We will play lots of Uno, Euchre, music, and such. I will also distribute ZA presents (and presence) to everyone, so I hope all of you are excited to come back. Sure beats those frothy exams! Ach! A saying that hasn't been heard for awhile...how strange!

Oh well...one of these days I plan on looking back on the ZA archives (it's contains over 3 years of rich ZA history now!) so this will be interesting just to look back. Wow...I was 16 then - how amazing! Remember those days? Incredible. Junior Year of high school...those were the days! In a way, I would love to live it all over again, but then again I would only be 16...it sucked being 16, ya know? At least for me, because I didn't get my license until 17 :( One of these days I'm going to compile this really epic stories about the last few years (and high school in general). It will be really fun, and I know everyone will really enjoy reading the nostalgic look back at Padua life! Fun schtuff, eh? Yeah, I thought so.

Well, I'm working at the rink right now, so I really don't have "too" much more time to reflect and schtuff, so I'll leave all you guys hanging here for awhile. Until next time...have a fun time - and a safe time!

-Chris