Day 201, Wonderful

Day 200, Missoula Rabble, The Kringles

Ten years ago Janet and David met on a plane. She was sitting in his window seat. He didn't kick her out of it. They were both headed to weddings of their respective children on the same day. After they met, they dated long distance for one year and married. Now they spend their time as Santa and Mrs. Claus during the holidays and they say they love it. I asked them how they started this gig. "He loves to dress up," Janet said. David told me he dressed up as Santa at a Griz playoff game several years ago and he liked the character. "I love goofing around," he said. "It's fun to spread holiday cheer. This brings the kid out in everybody." I asked them how dressing up as the popular Christmas couple affects their relationship. "We are really close anyhow," David said. "Sometimes it's tough to get Mrs. Claus enthusiastic about it." "I'm a little shyer than Santa. I'm not as extroverted as him," Janet said. "Santa's very good for me."

Day 199, Missoula Rabble, Cyndie

Cyndie doesn't mind being called a meter maid. "That's what I called them before I started doing this," she said. She's been doing this for 25 years. "It's my private method of torture," she laughed. "We call it parking enforcement because we are enforcing laws even though people want to choke us." I asked Cyndie what she will miss about this job once she retires in a few years. "It is going to be hard," she said. "I've developed many friendships. I've been doing this long enough to know someone as a child who now has children of their own." I asked her how she deals with the angry people. "They start out angry, but then they find out I am a human being and I have a sense of humor. And I'm nice. We usually become friends," she said. "You'll decay from the inside out if you don't forget the negative. If you want to get to me, be nice. If you're poison, I'm gonna forget about you."

Day 198, Short Stack

Day 197, Doodles

Day 196, Top Off

Day 195, The Last Hour

Day 194, Coldest Place On Earth

Day 193, Picture On A Wall

Day 192, Missoula Rabble, Angela and Vicki

Angela, in wheelchair, and Vicki are homeless. "We are like sisters," Vicki said. "We try to take care of each other as much as we can." They met a couple of years ago at the public library. Vicki told me her fiancé and she have a room to stay at for the next couple of days. I asked Vicki what trials she runs into being homeless during a winter in Montana. "A lot of people who are out here are drug addicts or alcoholics," she said. "Those people who are trying to get help can't because of that." Angela told me she sleeps outside right now. I asked Angela how she manages to maintain a positive spirit especially when the weather is as cold and windy as it is right now. "I build fires when I can and stay in my sleeping bag for as long as I can when it is this cold," she said. "God has never given me anything I can't handle."

Day 191, Missoula Rabble, Trevor

Trevor is very well known for his unique and stylized tattoo work and for having a pair of the sexiest legs in town. He rocks a boot collection that most women envy and isn't afraid to show his stems around town. I asked Trevor when he started wearing boots. "I was in college, back in '96 when the Internet came out" he said. Trevor posts many photos of his legs in boots on Instagram. I asked him what kind of responses he gets from the community. "It sets men off because men are such horny toads," he said. "I confuse a lot of people. I'm not attracted to men. I do it to hear people's responses. My presentation is my sales technique. To me it's superhero clothing."

Day 190, Missoula Rabble, Sean

While Sean was out walking in the blistering cold, I could hear Eminem blasting from his coat pocket. I asked him if he'd like to be in the rabble. "Why not? Everybody knows about me anyway," he said. "Why is that?" I asked him. "Maybe it's because I'm so damn handsome," he replied. I asked Sean why he was listening to his music without headphones. "I'm schizophrenic," he said. "The music keeps me calm. It gives me something to listen to." I asked Sean if he had anything else he'd like to tell about himself before we separated. He laughed and sharply responded, "I'm innocent."

Day 189, Day 189, "Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Day 188, Missoula Rabble, Teddy

Teddy recently found out he's a father to a little girl. "I didn't know I was a father until she was a year," he said. "I'm a full-fledged father now." He said his daughter's name is Ailish which he told me means 'little miracle' in Irish-Gaelic. "She is a little miracle. She's a blessing in disguise," he said. He told me he wasn't in the best place in his life when he found out. "I was not necessarily the best father figure, but it has whipped me into shape," he said. "I've had to put a lot of things aside. Resentments, fears, and personal growth to focus on this, having a daughter." I asked Teddy what's best about being a new father. "The best part of being a dad is how in awe I am that I was able to create life when I was used to destroying life before," he said. "It has really humbled me. I'm not as selfish anymore. I'm trying to build the best life I can for this person."

Day 187, Trapped

Day 186, Ghost and the Darkness

Day 185, Pretty Mouth

Day 184, The Grateful Kitty

Day 183, Cabin Fever

Day 182, If Wishes Were Horses