Greetings from the night desk.

Happy Friday!

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Answers

Greetings from the morning desk.

Good lord, Mike. I get sad for you when you work nights.

Where's T, lately?

Well, while I have a sec I will update y'all from here at my desk at Stupid Inc. I am going to B'ham this weekend to turn in my Explorer and watch the Alabama game.

My lease is up. So, I'm getting a new car... and I have no job. That's just the way it works, people. It's weird.

Y'all know my J.Lo/ Ford thing, right? Since she worked for them for 100 years, I get to lease or buy on the A Plan for employees and their families. Anyway, it's slightly below market value and I usually just lease the least expensive Explorer Sport on the lot. (Once, I had to lease an 5 speed F 150 because I was totally broke and it was $209 a month. I was such a Texas BAD ASS in that thing. Men swooned.)

I wanted one of those new, very cute Ford Escapes (like Vince Chao has, only his is a Mazda Tribute - same car), but they are too expensive. Do you know what the cheapest thing for me to lease is, instead? A big, huge four door Explorer XLS (not with exploding tires).

Sigh.

I mean, I am certainly not complaining - I just didn't want a barge to sail around Atlanta in. And it's more than I wanted to pay, but I am going to just get it and hope to God I get a job before I have to start paying on it. My choice of colors was green, red, black or silver.

I'll have to take whatever they've got left on the lot when I get there. It's a weird way to get a car, but it works for me.

Of course, the MOC was spreadsheeting out this ingenious plan last night: "See, you could get a truck and I could make the payments on it, and you could make the payments on MY car and you could drive my car which works out really great for both of... oh, wait. Nevermind... That doesn't work out for you at all...so, what I'm saying is, you get an old, used Honda, still make the same car payment, and I make out like a bandit. Yeah, nevermind. I need to think about it again."

I laughed and laughed. It was the first time the spreadsheet failed him.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

T is in the Chicken Zone, aka New Orleans, doing the wedding prep frenzy. Today I'm driving back, along with my mother, who has no idea that I live with Chris. I don't know if she has any idea where I'm living, but she hasn't asked, either.

Edna, on the other hand, found out about the whole sin thing yesterday, and she is *not* pleased. In fact, Chris had to assure her that I am, in fact, a Nice Girl.

People. We are GETTING MARRIED.

But, we registered and have narrowed it down to two caterers, and we have the pattern and the fabric chosen for the bridesmaid's dresses, and we have the save-the-dates, and we have all the hotel rooms booked. And I bought new running shoes.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Al, btw, ask your mother if she knows a big Soprano-looking guy named Peter Radosta. He's my uncle in Atlanta, and he's worked for Ford for a good 35 years.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

I'll ask her.

Y'all, this place is sooooooooooooo dead today. I am reading Newsweek. Probably not the best idea since there is a huge article on skin cancer, and I am fairly certain I have it, or will have it.

I meet every single risk factor and already show a few symptoms. I've been worried about it forever and should have had an exam before I left Dallas, when I had insurance. I've promised myself that's the first thing I am going to do when I get a job.

T, I cannot believe y'all are out of the closet to Edna. But what I find even more difficult to believe is the fact that she's upset about it. I mean, I understand that she is, but I wish people of that generation would wise up and shut up, you know? The stigma has been removed, I think.

I didn't think twice about living with the MOC. I wouldn't have done it at all if I didn't know where we were headed.

T, you're a Nice Girl. Edna needs to quit trying to step. Having made the decision to marry Chris, you're certainly capable of making the decison to cohabitate.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

You're absloutely right. Chris told her: "Mother, I am 30 years old. Teri's roommate moved to Athens; Teri didn't have a job. She couldn't get an apartment because she didn't know what her income would be. I love Teri, and I respect her, and *we are getting married*. This decision made the most sense on all fronts. That's all there is to it."

Apparently, that was the end of the conversation.

Chris was all, "I hope to hell she doesn't think her 30-year-old son is a virgin, because that would just be whack."

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

In terms of skin cancer, I had one removed when I was a senior in college. Have I never shown you my big-ass scar? It's on my lower back, and sometimes I can convince people that I was the girl in the email - you know, the one who had her kidney stolen and woke up in a bathtub full of ice in the French Quarter.

What are you doing on Monday? Would you like to meet Chicken's momma?

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Chris certainly said it best. Good for him.

What's the dress fabric look like?!

Y'all. 5k. Last night. I RULE! Okay, not really. I walked most of it. But it was my first race evah and it was SO much fun.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Oh, absolutely.

Hey - what's that Power's Crossroads thing? Is it any fun at all? Because we might go, if it's worth it.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Morning, kids.

I got a letter yesterday from the City of Arlington. Rejected! The funniest part is that I applied for that library job, the one where you have to have a GED to be qualified. A GED, y'all.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Power's Crossroads? I've never heard of it. Is it an Atlanta thing?

Joh, that's great. 5Ks are fun, because five is an impressive number. My parents do a 5K nearly every weekend (my mother is now the third-ranked racewalker in her age group - woo!) and in New Orleans, they're fun because you get free beer and red beans after the race, even though it's only 9 a.m.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

AB, that's because you're a good Louisiana girl, and those Arlington freaks know that if you were to get in that office, you'd shake things down to the point where the whole city would be all, "Damn, what the hell was that?" and their dim Arlington asses would lapse into anarchy. See, they're afraid. Afraid of your mad skillz. But you can't help it - you're just that good.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Is that what it is, T? Because I just thought they were being mean.

They did say my qualifications were "excellent." Hee. Yeah, thanks, 'preciate ya.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Well, since it was the A&F Challenge (to be said like a wrasslin announcer) there was plenty of beer after the race. Another Abercrombie kegger, y'all. But we did raise $175,000 for the Coalition Against Family Violence, which FLOORS me. That's so much money!

AB - they're Arlington fools, clearly. Who wants to work for fools? Not An Bei! Was your last little party about journalling meanness about the Dreama thing? Oh, and you tell MATH your dirty dream, yes?

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Damn, H, that's a LOT of caysh. You run/walk for good cause! I seriously need to start exercising before my lungs give out and my ass grows to the size of Texas.

Yeah, it was about that. I had just started liking Beth/Dana/Rob again, then they bust out with all that mean shit. It's really totally unnecessary. Not that any of them read my journal, but whatever.

Dirty dream: I nevah tell! Hahaaaah! No, it was really dirty. It involved me, Master V, and some, uh, props. GAH!

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Where's all this journal trashing going on? And who are they trashing, that Dreama chick?

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Yeah, but now Dana/Rob and Beth have gotten into trashing each other and the whole thing confuses me. But that gabby girl made me laugh. She's like - this is dumb and pointless. Move on.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

On Beth's forum, Al. In the smack-talking place she calls the "Back Alley." You have to register to see it.

I'm currently making some Velveeta Shells & Cheese. I feel like I'm 7.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

That gabby person is mean, too. They're all mean! Be NICE, people!

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Why is +1 so slow? I bet a lot of people are off.

AB - you like my journalversary ideas?

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Yes, yes, H...check yo' e-mail.

I'm off to run errands, kids. Be back latah.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Man. I just read that entire Beth/Rob/Dana/Dreama thing.

I have to say that I think they're all complete freaks. They don't even know each other - well, Rob and Dana know each other, and from what I have gathered, know each other *quite* well. But whatever.

This Dreama person, who I've never read, sounds like a sad, poor weirdo who lives in an efficiency apartment and works for the post office and makes up stories about herself.

Beth, who quits her journal and forum every two weeks, is no better. Time and again she complains that she doesn't like to deal with the dissension and time and AGAIN she sets up an area SPECIFICALLY to start shit, and then gets right in the middle of it.

Rob and Dana? Well-written and totally mean. Same for Beth.

All that shit is just nerd against nerd.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Yeah, I don't quite get the vehemence against Dreama, but I've never read her, so I have no clue. From the 3wa world, I guess she set up an alias, complete with journal, and said she was Dreama's sister, but it came out that it was actually Dreama. That's why they banned her, because she was using the "two" people to start shit and stuff. But who cares? It's the in ter net.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Hey, T. I asked JoLo about your uncle.

Guess what?

"He and your Daddy worked together in Baton Rouge. We know him and his wife, Anita, well. He has two sons who work for Ford and maybe his daughter Lacey, too. We have a picture of you in the stroller at a picnic we had with them."

Does that sound right? Did your uncle live in Baton Rouge and have two sons and a daughter named Lacey?

It's a small world after all.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Yes! That is them Al! How weird. Weird weird weird. T will freak.

Uncle Peter is a char.ac.ter. As is his crazy mother.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

My mother lead me to believe that he is, indeed, a character. She should know, as she is the end-all of characters.

Of course, back in the day, the Lowes were WAY UP on the character scale. I'm surprised my dad is still allowed within the city limits of Baton Rouge. I think they were pretty crazy.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Clazy Lowes.

I am so, so happy it's Friday.

Woman, I write you back!

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

If the game gets tight and the Tide does not Roll,I will console others who are weak and cannot take it like a man. I will listen to a bunch of game theories and decide what the rest of the season will be like. If I reach adverse or negative decisions, I may shop on subsequent game days just so I wont have to watch grown men cry.

Hahahahaaa. JoLo's funny.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Is everyone gone?

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Finally here...

Late to the game, but as I recall from her pre-banned days on 3WA, Dreama was just really, really mean. Maybe the trashing has gone on too far, but I definitely think she put herself in a position where she had very few friends and a lot of enemies, and I'm not sure that wasn't deserved.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001