This morning I called The Smoker out of the blue at 9:10 a.m. -- which is usually before he's awake -- to say, "Hi, nothing going on, just wanted to tell you I love you."

And I get to see him tomorrow, AirTran and LaGuardia willing.

Talk about somebody you love. And it doesn't have to be the kind of love that makes you want to have ten thousand of their babies.

-- Anonymous, September 19, 2001

Answers

I love YOU, WriterGirl.

-- Anonymous, September 19, 2001

I adore Amanda Hesser - she's the new-ish food writer at the New York Times. She really is an amazing writer, and her adventures with Mr. Latte are hysterical. They're funny for me, at least.

-- Anonymous, September 19, 2001

Anna Chao

*looks down demurely, kicks dirt with toe, blushes....*

I crack my own damned self up.

My husband. No one ever believed we would stay married, and we did, and it is magic every day. He gives me the support I need to try new things, and to fail at things without regret, and he has this unwavering trust in me that blows my mind. And he is funny as hell.

-- Anonymous, September 19, 2001

I have much love for my mom. aaah her and her poor foot. I tell her not to walk on it and get her her water from downstairs. I'm a good child.

also there's shaun, my most favourite boy of all of the millions who love me. I made him a mix cd and put tons of my favourite stickers on the package...if that ain't love...heh heh. mom even said if I didn't use the best ones, that showed I didn't care enough. she haseth zee wisdom, yo.

-- Anonymous, September 19, 2001

AB, I may call you on that -- I received official word today that the WriterFamily is descending on Dallas for Xmas.

-- Anonymous, September 19, 2001

My husband, _r, because he laughs at everything I say even when it's not funny just becaus he thinks it's funny that I crack myself up.

Last night at the ballgame (MAN is Fenway a teeny tiny place) they were playing an instrumental of Total Eclipse of the Heart. On an organ. Really fast, like it was a polka.

So I started singing it really fast like a polka which is damn hard to do and I just thought it was funny.

And I look at _r and he's laughing so hard he's crying and he smiles at me with his crinkly eyes and says, "You are so funny, I love you!" and I just melted and we snogged for a bit. How can you not love that man?

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2001

Aww, Slickery, cute story.

If I could, I'd send you the polka-doo-wop version of "Unchained Melody."

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2001

I'm pimping my Grandma. She paid my rent and food all throughout law school so I wouldn't have SUPER MEGA LOANS (as opposed to the mega loans I have now) She's also funny as hell.

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2001

Yall. For real. I'm on the phone with The Boy at this moment. He just used the word "asymptotic" in a totally-unaffected-yet-still- germane-to-the-conversation analogy. He pronounced it right.

I don't think I would have even pronounced it right. I had to go look it up obviously. He just might be a keeper.

-- Anonymous, February 13, 2002

I looked it up and I still don't think I understand what it means. I can pronounce it like a mo fo, though.

I completely lost my shit this morning and yelled at the Partner when he was insisting that I looked great and I was ripping off clothes trying to get ready for work in a fit of frustration. And you know what? The man didn't even milk it for guilt. I apologized a few minutes later when I could breathe again, and he just accepted my apology and pretended like it didn't happen.

That, my friends, is love.

-- Anonymous, February 13, 2002

The Boy and I have only been dating a few weeks.. and right now is Princess Time (aka my period) and I've been incredibly cranky lately. I've been giving him warnings like, "Yo, I'm thisclose to being really pissed off, just fyi" and he doesn't know where it came from, and I can't help him out on that one.

This morning I'm lying on my couch kind of loafing and all, and he leans in to give me a kiss and then tells me that even though I've been really cranky, he admires that I don't turn around and blame it all on having my period, that it's not every excuse coming out of my mouth.

---

My dad is the best. When my mom got mad at me about something she never should have known about in the first place, she told him. He called me at school and said this to me: "Honey, I talked to your mom. I know she's mad at you. I just have to tell you this - there are things in my life I do that you probably don't agree with and there are things in your life that I might not agree with. Just know that I will always be there for you when you need me and that I love you. And try to keep your mother happy." I almost cried right there on the phone. Man, that was good times.

-- Anonymous, February 13, 2002