Nothing to Say

So here we are and there isn't much going on. My infatuation with Amy is on hold. My interest in tracking down Jennifer has waned. And I don't have any problems with my teeth at the moment. The book is coming along all right, and Chapter 15 is almost finished (I just have to do the first confrontation with Natasha). The only thing happening is the snowstorm outside, and I'm not nearly bored enough to get into a discussion of the almost constant wintery weather that's been pulverizing us this year. So what is there to talk about?

This month, February, is a whole year now removed from one of my biggest low points. Last year at this time I was unhappy. I hated my job, I didn't like where I was living, I felt alone and unloved, there were money issues, and for the cherry on top I broke my freaking toe on a milk crate filled with books. We were not having a good time. I was still a few weeks away from meeting Jen. And I can't believe all of that was only a year ago; it feels like three.

Stray Bullets wasn't around then so I never told the whole story. At first, I couldn't stand Jennifer. I thought she was annoying and obnoxious, and she bugged the hell out of me. Sue put her with me because a) I trained everyone, and b) she was afraid to put her with Starr. Even during the interview Sue could tell that Jen was a pretty spirited girl, and someone that would probably clash with Starr. Even so, Sue believed that Jen and I would be like oil and water, you know with me being so quiet and all. That was more or less true to start with. She was hard to teach and was kind of a know-it-all, and I remember banging my head against my locker after one particularly difficult day.

Sue thought Jen might be kind of an antidote for the department. Starr and I both had a reputation for chewing up new people and spitting them out, which was not without some truth to it. Sue even said to us, the day before Jen started, "You guys won't be able to push this one around." Someone should have told Sue to be careful what she wished for. Not only could we not push Jen around (although, I could more than hold my own), but Sue had little to no control over the girl. And Sue's attitude about her in the beginning seems pretty ironic considering how everything turned out. There's no way she thought Jen and I would get along well enough to start hanging around outside of work, let alone well enough that the girl would end up convincing me to leave there. Sometimes people like Sue really do get what's coming to them.

Our first date was sometime in March, even though we didn't become a couple until later on in May. It was a fun night, too. We did all kinds of stuff. And there's even an idea from that date that I'm using in the book way way down the line in a later Season. So the time spent on Planet Jen is still paying a few dividends.

I've stopped looking for her. If my theory about her living around here somewhere is accurate, we'll probably run into each other sooner or later. I forgot for a moment that things don't work that way for me, as far as actually looking for her. It has to be a random, chance encounter ... because that's the way this chaotic universe works.

*****


Having just watched the last four seasons of Friends in rapid succession (the show was pretty soothing during toothache week), I have some notes.

--When I only watched the show randomly here and there and in syndication, I never really took to Phoebe. She seemed written weird just to be weird, and also seemed somewhat superfluous to most of the plotlines. But after watching a bundle of episodes, I really warmed to the character. She's really sweet. And in the gag-reels, the best parts are when Lisa Kudrow cracks up.

--Rachel has always been my favorite character, and the stories I followed the most were always Rachel-centric. That's why the 8th season is my favorite, and is one of the best seasons of TV period. That's the season where Rachel is pregnant and has the baby, which gets to me for numerous reasons I probably don't have to explain. It's also the season with the mini-arc where Joey falls for Rachel, and the episode where he realizes it is just outstanding television. Believe me, if there's one thing in the world that I know, I know *exactly* how he felt in those episodes.

--The character I identify with the most is Chandler. I bet most people would have guessed Ross, given my enthusiasm for the oddball things I like and for my tendency to fall for Rachel types (Jacquie, for instance). But no. It's Chandler. And while watching the last four seasons I came to see something that I wanted. I don't really want a Rachel, sweet though they are. I want what Chandler has with Monica. They have a tremendous relationship. And like with Phoebe, I didn't always get or appreciate the Monica character as much as some of the others, but she's really awesome. What's ironic here is that Libby is *totally* a Monica type person. Put that sentence together with the rest of this paragraph, and it's just more proof that I may be completely crackers.

*****

Ok. Bedtime. I have to get up early tomorrow because it's supposed to snow all freaking night.

Bleh.