Now it chills me to the bone

I just did my own taxes for the first time. This year I was too lazy to pay someone to do them for me. Hooray. I can do it. And I get a refund, although I came perilously close to owing the state money. Bleh. Stoopid state taxes. I'm proud of myself. I feel super adult and serious now. ha ha.

In other news, we went out on thursday. Our friends bailed on us, which is good because we went into tunnel vision mode and ignored the world. I spent the whole of the evening staring at Kitten or dancing with her. It reminded me of when we first met 9 or so years ago. She's still beautiful to me. I felt like I was 18 again. It was great. I might have drug her outside to the place where she kissed me for the first time and made her kiss me again. Maybe.

We skipped going out most the rest of the weekend. It was nice. Kitten is starting to read the twilight books and I am working on another go around with pride and prejudice. I keep falling asleep though, reading relaxes me.

Yesterday Kitten and I had dinner with my mom. It was the first time they'd actually sat down and been around eachother. If any of you recall my stories about my mom you'll know just how nervous I was. Seriously. I normally wait until there is no doubt its a long term relationship before they meet my family. My mom, as usual, had to go and mortify me. Kitten took it in stride. I love it when she's charming, and she charmed my mother, which is great. Hopefully she'll come off the ceiling now and stop giving me a hard time about Plush. She did mention grandchildren, but...she'll overcome. There's always Punk....

Anyway. She tried to get me to talk politics, a surefire way to pick a fight with me, and I was adult enough to let it go. Yay for me. She did talk about her restaurant that she works at and, god save me, made me wish I could drop through the floor. She made a very direct reference to the "beaners" that work in the back of the restaurant cooking. (its a slang term for a mexican american, in my part of the country, a rather unflattering one, at that.) I'm sure you've noticed from the pictures, Kitten is a mexican american. I almost cried. My girl, never one to pick a fight, only smiled and was nice enough to tease me after dinner about it. My mom is so on my crap list right now.

I'm going and getting my hair done today and we're having dinner with Kitten's mother tonight. I'm nervous as all hell about it. I don't want to embarass her. I want to make her proud. I know enough about her mom to know she's an intelligent woman and Kitten is intimidated by her. *sigh* At least the restaurant we'll go to will serve alcohol. I might need a beer.

Enough talk about relationships. Other things I'm excited about right now:

Rachel Maddow is gay!!!! how did I miss this? I've been crushing on her for quite sometime. I loved when she covered for Keith Olberman on Countdown when he went on vacation and I love her show. Did you know she doesn't watch television? Anyway, she's smart and funny and now I'm happy to disover, a sister of the inclination. I read this is "Curve" the last issue. (Kitten subscribes to Curve and The Advocate. Now I need a subscription to the New Yorker and I'll be all set.) Anyway, if you haven't seen her you should check out her site on MSNBC I'm putting her twitter page in the sidebar. Because I can.

Books I've read recently:

Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

The Four Feathers, AEW Mason

Little Women, Lousia May Alcott

Peter Pan, JM Barrie

Alice in Wonderland, and Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll

Books I'm working on but can't seem to finish

War and Peace, Tolstoy

Anna Karennina, Tolstoy

Les Miserables, Victor Hugo

A Picture of Dorian Grey, Oscar Wilde

And that's the news kids. As far as I can tell. Love you all.

AG/xx

ditry dancefloors and dreams of naughtiness

Yesterday was fantastic.

I don't know if I've mentioned it before but I only have one day off a week from Casa Bueno. Yesterday was my day off. I spent most of the morning cleaning house, you wouldn't believe how much laundry kitten and I manage to generate in the course of a week. Then again, I'm a freak and like to do laundry, so I played happy housewife all morning and had a grand time.

In the afternoon we went and had lunch at a local cafeteria with Mysterym who seems to really like Kitten. It makes me happy. Mystery is the kind of girl most people need in small doses because she can't sugar coat anything and she's very opinionated. I like her because she is a great story teller. I always end up laughing when I am with her. I like that. Apparently so does kitten. After we ate we went to a coffee shop downtown. The girls ordered seriously girly coffee drinks. I contented myself with Jasmine loose leaf tea. I love tea. A lot. I also had a cuppa Irish breakfast tea with cream. Yum. We told stories until it was nearly dark. When we got home I changed clothes and Kitten banged on her guitar for a bit before we headed out to a local hole in the wall for drinks with Mystery and Charlie Brown (her husband) Incidentally, I need to steal some pics off her site so I can show you the wedding. I was in it. Fun.

We're going out to Ladies night at the biggest and longest runnning local gay club tonight. I haven't been to it in years. I can't wait to show her off. She's so beautiful. And she runs with the "phone tree" that I used to idolize when I was a young lesbian. The phone tree girls are all those girls I thought were cute but was too afraid to ask out, and then when I did work up the nerve they laughed at me. Young people can be cruel. I'm afraid I'm passive aggressive. I want people to see me out with her. There's a pretty healthy amount of younger girls that had been giving me the eye the last year or so but never made a move (well, most of them never made a move) becuase they knew I was with Plush. Iwon't be disappointed to see them there either.

I admit its childish, but then again, I never claimed to be anything but petty when it comes to my affections. I love my community but there's a pecking order. Kitten rather moved me higher up. Its true. With the women anyway. I've always been up on the food chain with gay males, drag queens and bar tenders and owners. but lesbians? They don't like me. I'm too fag for their unsubtle midwestern minds. Kitten was always a part of the phone tree, even when we were both younger. (in case anyone cares, she's 29. Two years older than I)

I'm sure I'm going to enjoy tonight, she promised to dance with me all evening. I love to dance, and she's good at it. So life should be beautiful. Like it has been.

I'm sure an update will be forthcoming. And pictures. I want to take lots of pictures.

Truth Be Told I'm Lying

Well, heater all fixed. I crawled up under the house with Kitten and watched her fix it. It was awesome. I told her I had fun doing it. I'm not sure she believes me, who enjoys crawling under a house with just a flashlight in 20 degree weather, really? (yours truly apparently) The house is warm and life is good.

I met Kitten's dad this week. I was really nervous about it, but from what she says he likes me a lot. And that's a good thing. I get the impression that Kitten carries a lot of her personality traits from her dad's personality. I like him a lot too. He's a sweet man and despite my shy tendencies (yes I am!) I felt really comfortable around him. I might have spent most of my time hovering behind Kitten but I did enjoy his company. He's nice.

Now I have to meet Kitten's mom sometime in the next week or so and that does frighten me. I know enough about her to know I'll wear a skirt and probably get my hair redone before I meet her. Table manners shall be brushed up on and I will work on my dazzling smile. Or something. I want her whole family to like me. That would make things much easier for both of us.

My mom still hasn't totally come around, so I don't know how I;m going to handle her. She asked to have dinner with me and kitten next week so next week must be mom week. I haven't heard anything else about Plush's mom from him although I've talked to him every day since it happened. I don't think his family is keeping in touch with him. This sucks, I don't like feeling sorry for him. I want to be friends, but feeling sorry for him makes me feel akward. I have a feeling he isn't looking for an apartment right now and its annoying me. I don't want to support him indefinately. I want to help out at home with Kitten. *sigh* How long do you help before you hurt yourself? I don't know.

Today is my only day off. I need to be useful and clean up around the house. I want to go flea marketing or something just to get out of the house for a little bit. I need to go to the apartment and get stuff from it too, but that requires me to face Plush before I drive him to work, and I don't want to do that either. There's something terrible in him offering to help me move my stuff out to my truck for me. I'm not sure how to take that. I know I feel like an ass when I do.

I had another headache yesterday. I think that's two in the course of a week now. I need to get them under control. I think its mostly stress. It has to be.

I have six months and five thousand dollars until vacation. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Songs on my playlist right now?

1. Crystalline Green, Goldfrapp
2. Drive, Melissa Ferrick
3. Bad Things, JaceEverett
4. The Pleasure Song, Marianne Faithful
5. AA XXX, Peaches
6. #1 Crush, Garbage
7. Feeling Love, Paula Cole
8. Naked, Tracy Bonham
9. Haunting Me, Stabbing Westward
10. Love Song for a Vampire, Wojciech Kilar

There you have it

AG/xx

You're frozen

Wow. Literally. Our hearter went out sometime yesterday and normally that wouldn't be a problem except where we live the weather doesn't do what its supposed to. Last week I was back to wearing tanks and short skirts and its supposed to be about 22 degrees tonight. Thank god for blankets. And thank god that kitten is getting her degree in HVAC. I think she's going tofix it tonight after she gets off work. Bonus, though, is extra snuggle time. You can't help it. It keeps you warm.

Poor Plush. I've tried to make the transition easy for him, but he's a slow healer. And his mom is making his life difficult. She keeps trying to talk him into getting an apartment with her and he keeps telling her no. Hes 25 after all, and wants to live a normal adult life, or as much of one as he'll ever have. This is not easy for him, telling her no. And I was so proud of him for doing it. He's a momma's boy. Really. Yesterday she called him and asked again. He told her no and she told him he was ungrateful and she was going to just go take all her heart and depression pills and make him sorry for not loving her. She made good on the threat when he told her she needed to get help. She's in a local psych ward now and I feel terrible, although there isn't much I can do about it. I'd offer tostay with him for a few nights, but i know that will only make things worse for the both of us. It makes me feel helpless.

On the bright side, work is looking up and I'm hoping we;ll be busy tonight. I hate to sit behind the bar and waste space. I think a few of my coworkers are thinking of coming with Kitten and I to Florida. Especially Brown Chicken. She's great. One of our supervisors and a great friend of mine. I love working with her. She's good for a laugh or a cry. She and Kitten get on really well too. And she's starting a relationship with someone she's liked a long time, so we get to share the honeymoon glow with eachother and not gross eachother out. Its nice to have someone to brag to.

Speaking of bragging. *overshare alert* The, um, bedroom activities are glorious and I remember now why I love women so much. Its like coming home. I love it. I feel more content than I have in years. And beautiful, which is a new feeling for me. And my Kitten is so beautiful, I'm always proud to walk into a bar or restauraunt on her arm. Its a good feeling. And New.

So there you have it. Life in a nutshell. Back to my blanket, I think.

AG/xx

Will you still love me tomorrow?

Right. So I don't even know where to begin with where I'm at. I was thinking of how many bloggers I have and haven't kept track of in the last couple of years and it makes me feel truly horrible. I loved everyone so much. Silly, isn't it? That you can lose track of something you think is important? Well, push comes to shove sometimes and its always the luxuries that fall by the wayside. Unfortunately, blogging (nay, thinking about myself) became a luxury for a long time.

Now I find myself in the peculiar position of being able to consider how I feel for the first time in a long time. I feel a lot freer than I did. I feel a lot better than I did. I'm still going through random moments of guilt over hurting Plush, and I worry about him taking care of himself. But I'mnot his mother, and I think that was part of my problem all along. When I asked myself why I shouldn't leave him the reasons all involved me not hurting him or him not being able to manage without me. He's codependent. And I was accustomed to him being codependent. I think I liked the idea of being needed after Beloved left because she definately did not need me.

But Plush and I can be friends, and I'll be his biggest cheerleader, always. But it doesn't mean I have to marry him. It cerainly doesn't mean that. All that time I was trying so hard to please him. I love him, no doubt about that. But its not enough. I'm sure my married bloggers will tell you, love doesn't make a marriage. I know. I've seen that from my own family.

Living with Kitten has softened life around the edges for me. Everything feels a lot sweeter. A lot more beautiful. Hell, I feel beautiful and that's something I haven't felt in ages. I'm not ashamed to wear my glasses around the house. I don't straighten my hair for hours anymore. I willl every now and again but I like it curly just as well as I like it straight. I don't worry about looking perfect all the time. And yet, I like to pull my hair down as I drive home because I know Kitten likes to play with my hair. I like to put on her boxers instead of my shoe string undergarments because I know it cracks her up to see me running around in them. Il ike to go shopping and buy things I know will cause eyebrows to raise. She says to me sometimes that only I can pull off some of the things I pull off, but really, I can because I feel confident enough to do it.

Yes, life is better than it was. And I shouldn't feel sorry for it. I feel like Jane in "Pride and Prejudice" why can't everyone be as happy as I am, its almost too much to bear.

So, the basics of me. Now. Almost, what three years later? I still work at the local Mexican Restaurant Casa Bueno. I waitress three nights a week and bartend three nights a week. I still work with Rogue. We've managed not to kill eachother yet. Well see. I never thought I'd meet someone as passive aggressive as I am, but she's got me beat, hands down. And she doesn't like my Kitten, which I resent. I love most of my coworkers, still, which I also didn't think was humanly posssible. I am a little nervous because corporate thoguth it would be a brilliant idea to start random drug testing. We're going to lose half our staff. (and honestly, as long as they don't come to work all spun out, who cares?)

I am still no closer to my degree than I was. I could say "the sacrifices you make for love" but excuses excuses. January is looking like the time to go back, as soon as Kitten and I come back from Florida. And then I *will* get it done. I will it so.

I smoke still. I quit for a period of about three months and then I picked the habit right up after my mother had a heart attack (I know that should make me want to quit, but there you are, do I ever do anyhthing that makes sense?) Cute thing is she blamed it on me. Said my wedding plans were stressing her out. Well, no more. Although I thought she was going tohave another one when I told her about leaving Plush. And when Itold her about moving in with Kitten. Yeah. Its not my fault. Anyhow the smoking habit has picked back up. The drinking habit, not so much. Well, not picked up anyway. I cut back after spending 90% of my summer drunk. Bad idea. The older i get the worse the hangovers are. And with the hypoglycemia I shouldn't be pounding too many cocktails anyway. Not too many.

My brother Punk STILL lives at home. Hes 25 now, for the record. My mom says he's moving out any day now. Ri-ight.

My cousin Lovey is out of state in college and her family moved away too. I miss Priestess and the rest of her family. A lot. I do.

I have a full ten tattoos now and I'll be sure to have Kitten take pictures so I can post them. My newest one is a pin up. I love her.

And that's all I can muster in one go I think. Still boring, right?

Do You Remember When?

,

Once Upon a time there was a great blogger on my blogroll, Mr. Mystic. I really liked him. He posted a meme that I just ran across in my archives. My opinions on a lot of things have changed, so I thought I would put it up.

Mystic, I'm thinking of you.

What is your idea of perfect happiness? Being content with myself and my situation in life and having someone to share it with, even if its only a friend.

What is your greatest fear? Not being able to tell someone I love them before I lose them

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? My lack of an inner monologue. I can't conceal anything, even if I ought to or want to

Which historical figure do you most identify with? Queen Elizabeth

What is your greatest extravagance? Cigarettes and alcohol

What is your favorite journey? My trip to Kuwait

What do you like most about your appearance? My eyes, and I look unique

Which living person do you most despise? I've honestly gotten over all of my personal hang ups

What is your greatest regret? I don't have one anymore

When and where are you most happiest? At home in bed, or writing, always at night

What is your current state of mind? comfortable

If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be? I'd fix my teeth but keep my fangs

What do you consider your greatest achievement? I don't have one yet. I can make a great shot or cocktail

What is your most treasured possession? A scarf that used to belong to my grandfather

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?Loneliness without someone to comfort you

Where would you like to live? On a ranch in the southwest US

What is your most marked characteristic? I'm blunt. And Pushy

What is the quality you most like in a man?Compassion

What is the quality you most like in a woman?Honesty

Who are your favorite writers? Dostoyevsky, Dumas, Austen, LK Hamilton

Who are your heroes in real life? Right now? Um, my grandpa.

What is your motto? Live fast, love hard, die laughing

You are the one way glass that watches me standing in line at the bank

This is me and my friend Reads Like Me



Me and Kitten at a local dive bar



Me and Hippie Chick on a random night at the club

Me and my buddies the Freshman and Snoop on my birthday

Coming out of my cage

Hi again. Look at this a post two days in a row. Oh, the beauty of internet in the home.

The pics, in case you were interested, were of (respectively) Me and Kitten at a bar called Tipsy Turtle. No kidding, great name right? The second was of Kitten myself and RugbyGirl at a bar called My Place. Confusion abounds on that one. "Where you hanging out tonight AG?" "My Place" "So you aren't going out then?" Ri-ight. The third is Rouge and myself at one of the local nightclubs that allows under 21's in. Its part of my birthday party. I'll have to post some more if you like.

Incidentally, I am living with Kitten. You'll hear a lot about her. RugbyGirl is one of our friends who, suprise, plays rugby with Kitten. I'll have lots of new people to introduce you to soon, I'm sure. Oh, and neatly times suprise, Kitten was my very first girlfriend, from before I came out to anyone in my family, some nine years ago.

You know, I feel like I am coming out all over again. I have to tell my family and all of my friends who didn't know me before Plush, which is quite a few. Turns out I do know how to be friendly and charming in person, if I apply myself. Life as a bartender has been good for me. I'm more social. Its odd tot hink of all the strait people I've met over the last two or three years that associate me with only dating males, which is odd because even Plush made it a point to let people know I like girls. Maybe they tuned out. Or didn't believe me. I'm not sure. Either way, I think there's been a little suprise from some quarters. Then again, there's been none at all from others. My co-workers have apparently been waiting for all of this to happen. Alright then. You're always the last to know, right?

The pics on this post are Kitten and I out for Mardi Gras. I choose to leave my hair curly. Bad idea. The other is my friend Little Black Book. He's a hoot. and great for swapping stories with. And an excellent dancer. Even if he won;t let me lead.

Talk to you soon.

xx/AG

Welcome to the jungle

Well, if anyone thought my life couldn't get more crazy.... I left Plush. I'll blog sometime about how unhappy I was and all those good reasons to break an engagement, but really, what matters is I am safe, well and happy now. And I have pics! Lots of pics because I upload them en masse.

On the upside, I get a trip to disneyworld in November, since, you know, the honeymoon is already paid for. I'm going to have a great time and life will be wonderful, damn it.

And I get to go back to school.

My mom is currently not speaking to me. Apparently now that I've decided to go back to being a "sexually deviant man hating dyke" she wants nothing to do with me. On the other hand, the rest of my family is being supportive. Bonus.

I'll give you the introduction to my new life soon. Yay.

Love you all.

AG

We Kiss We Make Up

Happy new year all! I know I disappeared after vacation, seems like my whole life did. Turns out vacation was smashing. We has a marvelous time and really, I didn't want to come home. We did though, and chaos insued. I'm over it, somehow, and life is back to normal. Suffice to say I've got a long blog about hwo much I've decided I don't like the holidays because my dear plush actually has a family crazier than mine, and I will say that I am on the verge of 27, nothing accomplished with my life and I am doing what I can to take it with grace. Got a new camera for christmas so I should get arounf to posting new pics sometime soon.

love you all.
xx/ag

My Experimental Game

I woke up in one of those moods. Its my day off, which never bodes well, my days off are always awful. I've gotten to the point I'd rather work, honestly. It might be the impending rain storm. It might be I'm going to have lunch with my mother. Or it might be that Rogue was in a terrible mood this morning when she finally rolled off the couch . I think her and Skippy (her now ex girlfriend she is still hung up on) might be arguing, and judging from the way she is taking it out on me, I think I know what they are fighting about too.

Ah, well. Win some and lose some, right? I had three good days. No sense in pushing it.

T-minus 6 days to vacation and counting. I'm holding out for a pool, a horse and a bottle of champagne.

xx-ag

Take a look at me now

Alright. Per Swiss's very sweet request, I'm putting up some more pictures. Since I haven't got the hang of my laptop yet, they aaren't in neat rows. Sorry about that.


The top one is my cousin Lovey and me at Christmas this last year, so its pretty recent.

The one of me bent over the chair is me, well, bent over a chair. I think I am at a bar called Traffic, which is now closed. It bites because their bartender made great drinks.



The one of me with long hair is me at a Halloween party with some of my friends. No that is not a stripper pole, that's a fireman's pole from the top of the warehouse we were in. Yes, that is a hot tub. Yeah, I did get get drunk enough to get in later in the evening. Home made sangria. Does it every time.

I just happened to like the next pic, I think I look cute in it. I'm at a local karaoke bar with some friends.

The pic below is me with a couple of my guy friends being silly.

I think I actually managed to Post pics of both the tattoos on my arms. The one in this pic is arabic for irony. The one on my other arm means temptation. I got that one with rogue when she got her first one last january.

Boo

Hi. Surprise, right? Yeah, I'm not dead, just missing inaction for a while.

Nothing really changes does it?

Plush and I are still engaged, although how long that will last remains to be seen. Turns out my grandmother was right. I am high maintenance. And bless Beloved, I've come to expect alot from my partners and the strain is beginning to show for Plush. But I can be hopeful, rights?

As an added screw up benefit, Rogue came out of the closet. Should have seen that one coming along time ago. And she started working at my lovely job with me, so I see her pretty face all the time. Ahe's relentless the little bugger. I'll want to tell you all about my new job, remind me. Me, still struggling with my sexuality? Never....

Incidentally, that's me and Rogue out at a local club. I'm the one on the right, in case you've forgotten what I look like.

Right, job that's new to you and not to me.... After escaping Family Restaurant Hell I got a job at a local mexican restaurant we'll call Casa Bueno. I love it there, there's lots of great people and I get all (or none) of the hours I want. I've been a trainer for about six months now and I've been a bartender for about four. Its nice. I'm pretty good at it, and I have a nice time while I'm there. Me and Rogue and three other girls from work are taking a girls vacation in a couple of weeks. We've got a couple cabins lined up in the beautiful Arkansas mountains and we're going shopping, hiking, swimming and drinking until we're utterly exhausted and refreshed. I need the vacation. I really do.

This last birthday I got yet another tattoo. I'll do my best to get a pic up if anyone is interested. Its a pheonix in the center of my back. I think its about right for me. I also had my nose peirced recently. I think its been three weeks or so.

So, I've been missing everyone and I think its time for a comeback. nothing like blogger for some good soul searching and a bit of advice.

Love you all
xx

Where You Going With The Mask I Found?

Dear lord, if it isn't one thing, its another. My roommate is moving out, I'm financially desperate again and my student aid got mixed up, sent to another Alecya that goes to my school with my exact name [how is that possile?] and I'm a sitting duck right about now. I've been having these dizzy spells and suspicions are riding high that I am a Type 2 diabetic. As if things couldn't get worse for me medically. A visit to the doc is going to sort it all out. Oh. And FAMILY RESTAURANT fired me. Finally. But I've got another job. So its cool. I was on my way out the door anyway.

But! Otherwise, I suppose, things aren't too bad. I'm getting ready to sell the truck. [I think I said that last month] and I am going to sell the house. So I'll be out from under two financial burdens right there.

I'm in the process of not obsessing over the wedding. Which can't officially be "The Wedding" until Plush proposes, which may not be soon since he can't find a ring he likes. Still, he's always coming up and going "How do you feel about sushi at the cocktail hour?" or "I was watching Platinum Weddings the other day, I don't think I like all the red. Its too loud. What do you think of pastels?" So I think its fair to plan, don't you? I hope so, this weekend I'm going shopping for dresses with my and his mother. I've found one I'm rather fond of, and I think it suits me. You tell me....

I think its lovely, and its got the black detail available. And I've been dying to have black detailing in my dress. I like the look a lot. But, my aunt Preistess made me promise not to just try that one. So I've got to try on a whole lot of them before I decide on just one. But this one is the front runner for sure.

I have a whole bunch of other ones I've seen that I like, the trouble is most of them run the $1000 to $3000 range, which, as you might imagine, is a bit out there for me. Actually, I'm in a bit of sticker shock, the budget, as of now, is somewhere in the range of $13,000. Which, of course, means I will only have to figure out a way to save three hundred or so a month the next two years. His family is helping out too, which is very sweet. I think we've got a good thing going, really. I'm creative, and I think we'll be able to come up with something lovely. We've decided for around fall 2009. He'll be ready to graduate then, and I'll be getting there. Its a good time to start a new life, I figure.

In the meantime, I'm still trying to devise a way to break it to [not] Beloved that I've found the person of my dreams. She's already haveing fits that I am dating "a stinky boy" as she so elegantly phrases it. I'll never hear the end of it. Not that it matters, its my happiness, right? Still, I am already tired of the jokes about me being strait all along. I find it odd, especially because it shouldn't offend me. Seeing as how I am, now, technically strait, and will be for the rest of my life.

I know you lot are probably, being the protective lovelies you are, wondering how I can be so sure about Plush when I've just had a 5 year relationship flushed down the tubes a little over 8 months ago. I'll say this. I love him. I really, really love him in a way I am not even sure I understand. He makes me feel things I never felt with anyone, not with Beloved or with any other person, male or female. I'm safe when I am with him and I can't stand to be without him. He compliments me, he feels like a part I've been missing all along. I talked to him the other day, asked him if it worried him that we were jumping in feet first and not bothering to look below. He said exactly what I feel, which is, no, I know I should be, but somehow, I'm not. Somehow, I feel like this is exactly what should happen. And for once, my family is right behind me on this, and his family is too. All of his family. His brother and sister and his mom, and they're cheering us on. His mom told me the other day that the minute she met me she knew Plush an dI were meant for eachother. That meant a lot to me.

Anyhow. I'm sapping out, when I ought to be studying. Still, I figure, I ought to share with you.

Speaking of, despite my failing three classes last semester my cumulative GPA is still a 3.1, go me! This semester I can knock it out of the park, and I'll be back on the dean's list, and ready to go. Its a nice thought.

Hey...would any of you come to a middle of nowhere wedding? Curious, only curious....

Love you all

AG

long time, no see

Hey guys. I wanted to drop you aline let you know I am still alive. life is, uh, interesting. The downward financial spiral thatbegan with (not) Beloved and I's breakup is continuing. My finances are a mess. I am selling the house, and my truck. Yikes. But, it will get better. right?

In other news, I have a boyfriend. Yes. A BOYfriend. Call him Plush. He's fabulous. We've been dating for three months now and I honestly can't imagine a person could ever be better to me. I'm a lucky girl.

I'm being obliging enough to post some pics, if you want to see what I (or he) look like. Its been a while...I know. I'll try to come back and be more friendly.

If you've given in to the monster MYspace, you can find me there too... look up alecya giovanni. My last name, obviously, is giovanni.....I'll add you....

pics, now.

This is me and plush and my mom....

This is us looking Emo....

This is us at Karaoke...

This is me and Plush and his best friend Dutch.

Incidentally, I've gotten two new tats, one on each arm.... did you spot them?

I've missed you all...

Right. Its been a month, nothing has really happened that I think anyone will care about.

And I am contemplating a break. A big one.

xx

Don't Turn Around

Right. Briefest of updates about life in my world. So much going on, obviously, I've not been around much. Thats in part due to the major ice storm that hit the midwest. I lost power in my house for 14 days, joy oh rapture. Thank god Little Dragon [have Itold you guys about her yet? remind me to] got her family to take me in, so I spent about 6 days sleeping on a pallet in the floor of a loft with her, Shrugs and her little brother [Oh Goody] and then another week or so at her house, because she got power back a lot sooner than I did. It was a nightmare, no makeup no luxuries hardly anything for 2 weeks, I'm glad its all over. Either way, I'm glad to be back home.

Right. So, Little Dragon is a person I met through Rogue, she's fabulous and our parents went to high school together, how weird is that? She's a doll. And she's a mystic, like me. And she's a lot better than I am, she's got a ton of talent, tell you the truth its difficult keeping her out of my head, she's got such a strong hook to her energy people naturally let her in. A lot like Rogue.

Speaking of my darling girl, we're fighting, although we've called a bit of a cease fire for the sake of both our sanities. Its ugly, its been ugly, but we're working on it. It all comes down to whether or not a person is willing to sacrifice or risk sacrificing a friendship to keep that friend from hurting themselves in an irreparable way. I am . And so she's mad at me. But we'll make it. We love eachother too much not to. That's what Shrugs and Little Dragon say, anyhow.

Speaking of love, Beloved and I are still on speaking terms, I am coping with all of this pretty well, I think, although I am not particularly in the mood to date right now I have met some nice girls my age and its delightful to hang out with them and have some semblance of a life on my own. I am enjoying the freedom a bit. It took some adjusting but I've gotten there. And I've gotten to the point where I'll eat, for a while I wasnt wanting to eat, not because I was strving myself, I just didnt have the energy. But my appetite is back, and I think that heralds good newd for me.

On the school front, I'm back in the swing of things. I have a 3.8 GPA [for you brits, that's .2 away from perfect] and I made the deans list this last semester. I fully intend to do it again. I'm really proud of myself.

The Lump, its nothing, and I am having it microchipped to make sure it stays nothing, but all is clear and healthy on that front.

As far as health goes, I have picked up smoking a great deal, but I have no other bad habits, eh?

Oh! and, as a joke [remind me to let you in on the joke later] Me, Shrugs, Little Dragon, Skippy and Rogue are all going to their Loyalty Dance at their school together, I am Little Dragon's "date" I'll have to tell you all about it, we're laughing so hard about it we can't even see strait. But I picked out my dress and we're all wound up about what Rogue is calling "the greatest prank ever played" Its for the benefit of their basketball team, really. Apparently yours truly is a dog, and has all four of them on a string for me. We'll see....

Well, my loves, I am off to class, those of you that know it, you should email me, you know.

Oh, and thanks to the lot of you who sent me xmas cards. It meant a lot to me.

xxxxxxxx [and then some]
AG

times are a changin

Hello. I know I've been gone since I came home from Kuwait, and I promise to tell you all abut it when I have a moment, but I've not got a moment to spare, there's one bit of info I have to drop by before I run off, the reason for my absence. Beloved left me. I'm okay. She's okay. We're still going to be friends, but after 5 years...well, it takes some getting used to being alone again. I am keeping the house, we've worked something out. And Shrugs is going to move in and be my new roommate, which will work a treat, because I adore him and I can *tolerate* his girlfriend, a little. :) I figure this is time for a change, and life is going to get better. It has to. On the flip side, I amexhausted. I forgot how tiring being single can be.

I love you all. I'll give you a more full update when I can.

xx
AG

This Makes Me Really Proud to Be An American

Serisouly, I read this article and thought I might be sick. After a week of trying to better understand a culture and its people highly influenced by Islam, it makes me angry. Really Angry.

See Below, and let me know how you feel:

Virginia Congressman Virgil Goode's comments about a fellow Congressman's swearing-in ceremony has sparked a religious controversy on Capitol Hill.

Keith Ellison, D-Minnesota congressional-elect, plans on using the Muslim holy book the Koran for his ceremonial Congressional swearing-in ceremony next month. His new colleague, Virginia Republican Congressman Virgil Goode reacted on Fox News.

Rep. Virgil Goode, R-Virginia, says, "I am for restricting immigration so that we don't have a majority of Muslims elected to the United States House of Representatives."

Goode wrote to hundreds of constituents that Americans need to "wake up" to make sure "more Muslims (aren't) elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran."

Ellison is not an immigrant, born in Detroit, he converted to Islam in college and says he can trace his roots back to Louisiana 260 years ago.

Ellison told ABC news earlier this week that the official swearing in of all the congressmen is more important than the individual ceremony.

Ellison says, "All of us, no matter what color, what culture, what religion, all swear to uphold one Constitution. That's a beautiful thing. It's something that all of us as Americans really need to be proud of."

This controversy erupted after Jewish conservative columnist Dennis Prager wrote that Ellison's using a Koran would "undermine American civilization," since our values he says are based on the Christian bible.

But in 1997, Oregon Republican Senator Gordon Smith, a Mormon, used an
expanded Bible containing the book of Mormon.

Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner of New York, who's Jewish, says, "Maybe I am going to be attacked next because of the old testament bible I am being sworn on compared to the new testament one that Virgil Goode is going to be sworn in on."

Congressman Goode says he will not apologize, and that he is not a bigot, just not a person who "jumps to the mantra of political correctness."

Copyright 2006 by Young Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Look At This Photograph

Hey everyone. I really want to post a long excitng tale about today, but its 1 am here, or very close to it, and I am being lazy. I will instead provide you with many, many photos of my trip.

In case you havent tuned in recently I am in Kuwait right now with my school. I've been here 5 days now, and I'm having a great time. Please read the post below, I'm interested in any questions you might have.

On with the show.











This is Dr. O at the airport in Cincinatti waiting for the plane, which was delayed about half an hour or so because of weather in NYC.










I think this one is self explanatory.












A view of Kuwait City from Kuwait Towers.



<--------- Another view of Kuwait City. If the formatting turns out okay you'll be able to see I made an arrow in the approximate direction of our hotel, the large tan high rise with green arabic writing on it in the middle of the pic.

















This is Kuwait Towers from the ground.












This is me and debate girl inside the alcove where the imam calls prayers inside the Grand Mosque in Kuwait City.

Right blogger is giving out on me for posting so many pisc. More later....