Hey, dudes and dudettes!  Or, as they say down here in Texas, howdy, y'all!

My name's Tank.  Tank Griswald.  I live in Fort Worth,  I go to college at Texas Christian University here in Fort Worth; I want to go into either journalism or broadcasting as a possible career.

I have my mom, Celine, my dad, Robert, and my twin little brothers, Tobey and Tobin.  I had another little brother, Robin, but he died when he was four; he died of a brain tumor.  I was thirteen then, and the memories still make me cry.

Tearing up now; please excuse me while I wipe my eyes---

Okay.  Now I can continue. 

I have at least two more years at college.  I love it. 

In addition to my college world, I have a love life.  Yeah, I have a girlfriend.  She goes to the same school as I do; we met when we were registering for classes, and we fell head over heels in love with each other.  She is smart, pretty (freckled, but pretty) with long, flame-red hair, and has big, emerald-green eyes. 

She is originally from Tennessee (born in Canada), and has the wildest family.  Her mom and pop have adopted sixty one kids, had two. 

Steffi is, in fact, adopted herself; she was nine when her parents took her in as their own, along with her brother, Michael.

I would have seen her in Tennessee at Christmas, but I came down with the chickenpox.  It was one of the worst moments of my life, but thankfully, I'm just about over them now. 

I caught the chickenpox from Tobin.  (thanks LOADS, Tobin!)

I love to play football, sing, play guitar, read (Christian fiction, the Bible, mainly), dance (I dance the jitterbug or swing dance), listen to Celine Dion (I just love her!!!!), and chase storms.  Living in Texas, that's not surprising:  we get some wild/woolley weather here!  (And NO basements, which I find crazy!!)

I can't wait until tomorrow.  That's when Steffi comes back home to Texas.  I have missed her; for the last two weeks she's been in Tennessee during Christmas break, spending time with her family. 

Well, I am going to go; mom is asking me to wash up for supper.  Tonight it's pork and beans and hot dogs, along with a tomato-and-lettuce salad.  I will write in here again soon; you haven't heard from me, Tank Griswald!  Bye and God bless!

~Tank (Rylant) Griswald (now you know why I'm called "Tank"!). :D