After this weekend spent with Shannon and the Meggo, I realized something, and that something is that I am still very much the same person that I used to be.

Like today, my roommates and I made a run up to Meijer. I, however, having no myself at the moment because paying rent in Grand Rapids is a bitch, decided to simply drop them off for an hour and take my big butt further down the road to fill out some job applications. After all, with the holiday season being upon us, I figured that some business, especially of the the corporation breed, just might need a few extra payroll junkies.

After being told by the kind ladies at Michael's that they only accept online applications- a wise choice if you ask me as I am someone who has very neat but incredibly small and heavily stylized handwriting- I went to the nearby strip mall.

Just by looking at the place, I could tell that at the very least it would be rather promising since it had not only a Fashion Bug but a Target, a Hallmark, a Debs, and a Justice! for girls.

Now, I know I may not always be the most fashion conscious person in the world since I strongly believe anyone can look good in a hoodie and jeans, but I still try my best to look more than presentable when I go out job hunting. Especially when I know I might be working for retail. Take today for example.

I had picked out one of my very best sweaters- not a hoodie, mind you- and a pair of khaki pants that I had bought this summer for the sole intention of landing a job somewhere. I even pulled out my purse from JC Penny in lieu of my homemade messenger bag because, even as individualistic as I am at times, I realize that sewn on lady bugs and furniture coverings do not equal a business-minded future employee.

However, the crowning achievement of my look was not my watch from my great-grandmother, the ring from my grandmother (on the same side), my class ring, my owl earrings, or even my silk bandanna. No. The two pieces which were to be my ultimate success were my shoes.

My plaid, cost me $3 at Burlington on sale, four-inch heels.

So when a young blonde in a fitted, hot pink top and bright yellow, six-inch heels came right up to me as I walked through the door with a smile and the obligatory "Can I help you?" I was more than ready. However, as soon as I asked if they were accepting applications, her face fell for a brief moment, and I caught her giving me a quick once-over. I, through the sheer power that only a pair of kick-ass shoes can give, only continued to smile to show that I was serious, and Little Miss Oh-So Perfect agreed to give me the paperwork.

Fifteen minutes and one misprint (seriously, why do the spaces have to be so damn small?) later, I was back in the parking lot- which, by the way, had the mysterious smell of baby powder, and even though I seriously doubt I'm Justice! for girls material, I had to admit I still felt pretty good about myself and the person I still am.

The one who can feel complete even being 20 pounds overweight, in need of a haircut, and having a man living eight hours away while still being able to out-sing Gloria Gaynor when it comes to I Will Survive.

~ Peace and Love

Well, the impossible has happened at last... I have started reading Harlequin novels, and what's worse is that I actually enjoy them. At least the few I've read thus far.

I remember when I used to go into my mom's bathroom and find her romance novels sitting on the back of the toilet, and I always wondered just what it was about them that made her read at least four or five a week, if not more. After all, as far as I could tell from reading the synopsis on the back, they were more or less all the same story with different names for the characters.

The main criteria seemed to be a strong female lead and a man who could not and would not take no for an answer with a plot that centers around revenge or at the very least a twisted marriage arrangement of some sort.

As for the cover or, my favorite to look at as a child, the art that was 'hidden away' just behind it, the scene was a passionate one with the man and woman in a fluid and dramatic scene. While nothing explicit was ever shown, the woman's dress was always torn open and exposing the luscious curve of her full breasts, and her man was equally disheveled with his own chest on full display, usually because he just so happened to be shirtless during that exact moment.

The only difference I could ever find concerning these couples was the hair color and style they happened to be sporting which all depended on where and when the story itself took place. Other than that, you just had a very voluptuous woman and a chiseled man on each and every cover.

Of course, probably the most entertaining aspect of these novels has to be some of the wording that is used. Most of which is so bad that it stops everything dead. Stone cold dead.

For example:

"'You are my world,' she said. 'You fill my mind every waking moment and my dreams are full of you when I'm asleep-'" (Italian Boss, Proud Miss Prim)

Or this one from the same book that was so horrible I just had to share it with Jay the moment I read it:

"...so hot you wouldn't touch him without protective clothing."

And probably the most cheese-tastic description of a climax that I have ever read:

"She made him feel like a great eagle, soaring and swooping, riding currents of air that zinged with sensation. It was brilliant, flying towards the highest of highs and she was taking him there, bucking and squeezing, drawing him on until he was utterly driven by her journey to the peak of ecstasy, reaching it with her, exploding like a nova that radiated out from the molten inner core of her to every cell in his body." (Ruthlessly Bedded by the Italian Billionaire)

All the same, there's still something about reading these books that has been putting a smile on my face for the past week or so. The characters just seem to pull me right in, and although there are moments when I can't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation, the dialogue, or the wording itself, I have to say that I really do enjoy every turn of the page.

Besides, for three dollars a pop, I have to admit it's more than worth a little cheese.

~ Peace and Love

My new roommates sure have kept this ol' girl quite busy for the past week or so, especially Jay. That little man is full of so much energy that it's hard to keep up with him sometimes- especially now that he wants me to start a cleaning service with him if I can't find employment elsewhere.

In a maid's dress.

Anyhow, like I was saying, Jay keeps me pretty busy. Like today he took me to Hooters... and the sex store that was in the same strip mall. Talk about classy.

He also was the one to introduce me to Mike and Lilia who are both pretty decent people although their way of handling relationships is quite messy. Both of them surround themselves with the opposite gender almost exclusively, and both readily admit this is to have as many partners as possible. However, rather interestingly, she has a problem with him going around with other girls while she feels it's completely acceptable for her to make out with my roommate right in front of him without a care in the world.

Note: She does not realize that Jay is, in fact, a young woman- not an androgynous man.

Today took kind of a sour note, though, when Jay and I were driving down Division looking for this place called the Kostume Room where he wanted to check out maid outfits and pink wigs. We couldn't find the place, but that wasn't what bothered me.

It was the fact that we ran into Palo at a red light.

He kept looking back at me like he wasn't sure if it was actually me or not, and when I finally waved, he tried to get me to turn into the next street along with him. For whatever reason, I suddenly felt really sick to my stomach, and I ended up not following him.

Jay didn't really help matters any, though. He just kept asking me why I looked so sick, and when I told him I was nervous about seeing Palo, he just kept asking questions. I knew that he was just trying to help, but the last thing I wanted to talk about was Palo. After all, I thought I was done with him a long time ago.

Just seeing him at the light made a lot of those feelings come back, though.

Well, school starts tomorrow, and I have Figure Drawing class which is making me super, super happy all of a sudden. Sure, it's just drawing naked people, but I really enjoy drawing people themselves. Clothes or no clothes, really.

~ Peace and Love