Well damn, damn, damn. Here I am. It's been a little over a year since I started my account at E2 now. I should be more excited about it, I guess.

I've been away for a while. So let's get some things out of the way.

Kissing

Yes, on Valentine's Day, I got not one, but two. I worked first shift that day, and I remember calling Elizabeth, my co-worker, and saying "Hey, why don't you be my valentine?" Her response was fun. "How do you plan for us to pull that off?" I said, "It's simple, we don't even have to see each other. For the remainder of the day, just call me hunny." She said she could do that. I bought her a rose and left it at work for her with a note thanking her for being a "cool pal" and went home.

Later that evening, my good buddy Brian calls me from the shop and says, "Charlie, get up here pronto, I got an emergency, I need you now." So I threw on my coat and jogged up there with all speed.

I was not prepared for Noah's Flood when I arrived. Water, water everywhere! And not just any water... sewer water. Bleck! So anyway, It was Lottery night at the shop, and Brian would be way too busy to be able to clean up all that water and still be able to take care of all the people who want to waste their money and make it out when his shift was done.

Well, I got the mop bucket and went to work...

So after I was done, I was about to go back home when the phone rang. It was Elizabeth, and she was coming up to show Brian a dog. Brian told me to stick around, and I might get to see my valentine after all.

Well I sat around and waited, and finally, Miss Betty, this 72 year old woman who has lived a rough life, comes up and starts gambling. The first ticket she buys, she wins $24 on. Not bad. But it kind of goes to hell from there. Well, after a little bit, she turns to me and says, "Charlie, I figured out why I think you're so handsome. You are the spitting image of Al Atkins (my dead great cousin). He was my first love."

Now, what I know that she doesn't know I know, is that he and her had a baby girl together, and he made her give it away, and she never got over that. But anyway, she also told me of this man she loved, who was probably spending his evening and her money in a topless bar. I told her to deal with that tomorrow, that tonight she ought to enjoy herself, being it was Valentine's and all.

Later on, Elizabeth shows up. Brian, thinking I wasn't acting quickly enough to suit him, grabs up my rose with the note and gives it to her. Then he leans down and tells her something in her ear, at which point she blushes, something that didn't look right with her jet black hair and slightly darkened complexion. I never want to see it again. But she did, and she looked straight at me and said, "But he's still chicken about it." Brian asked me if I was chicken, assuming I had figured out what he asked her. I said I was not. Elizabeth retorted "Well maybe I'm still chicken." At this point Betty chimed up and said "Might I ask what is going on?" Elizabeth pointed at Brian and said "He wants me to kiss Charlie." Miss Betty prompty replied, "Well I think you should."

Elizabeth was becoming outnumbered. She continued to hesitate, and that ended up costing me big time, for Betty stood up and said "Well if you won't, by golly I will!"

So this 72 year old woman comes up and French Kisses the everliving hell out of me! This was the first time I had tongue in my mouth... I didn't want to shove her away for literal fear of breaking her, and I didn't want to embarass her, though she sure embarassed me! So, I just let her kiss me. When she was done, she got very ashamed and left. I was shocked, Brian was shocked, and Elizabeth couldn't stop laughing.

A short time afterwards, Lizzie was about to leave. I walked her out. She smiled with that smile that gets me every time, and she said "If it will make your night any better, I'll do it. But you have to promise you won't run away this time."

"Okay!" was my eager response.

So she did. It was nice, it was simple, lasted only a second, no tongue, but it was good. I appreciated it so much more than what Betty did. And it made me smile. She left.

When I came back in, Brian made me sit down, he said "Charlie, I want you to imagine a hoola hoop around your waist. That is your personal space, everyone has it. Do NOT let Betty into your Hoola Hoop again."

Brian and I are both close to her, but not like that. And I have not seen Betty since, though Brian carried me a most sincere aplogy from her. Finally I understand why she gave me all those things that used to belong to her husband.

Eeesh! Woof! Oooof! Brrrrrr!

Anyway... My room... is a disaster area. I have got so much stuff, including ALL of my school work from Kindergarten through COLLEGE, many of my old toys, clothes, so many things. I have to figure out what to do with it all. All the dust is starting to give me trouble breathing... It's really that bad. But I am having trouble with what to toss, what to keep, and where to move things.

I'll keep the good old daylog posted, but boy, what a job. Wish me luck, guys.