First Life
I looked to my right and saw a giant house spider standing on the carpet next to a piece of fluff. It wasn't a very big one - sort of the Gidget of giant house spiders -nonetheless they may not live here. In my experience they just stand there, leaving lots of time for me to bring the engine of destruction. I dragged the vacuum hose over and sucked the wretched thing up.

Enjah sent me a painting - very nice of her! I received a notice in the mail last week (found it on Friday I think but it had been there longer). Called the post office but they wouldn't bring it, so I asked Downstairs if she'd get it, as she has expressed a desire to do things for me, which can be handy. She forgot, and I had to remind her by email (wondering if she HAD forgotten but unable to wait as it would've been sent back). She ran out and got it and I found it by more door today. A complex story.

Sel told me he received the (his) book, and he will sign it and send it to me. Yay!

Had jin shin. Frank is moving, so every week he says, "I'm moving - did I tell you?" I had my hair cut at my beloved haircutters' salon, and was teary-eyed from laughter after 5 minutes. S told me that recently a group of teenaged boys hissed "fag" at them, which he said doesn't happen very much at all. I was glad to hear that - I'd've thought it was common.

Second Life
Did a photo shoot this morning for Flamenco Romance, which involved shooting Enjah dancing for a flamenco poster (in Cordova), then Enjah and Selador (the latter in my red suit of lights) trying to be romantic-looking in (my location pick) Oak Grove. I made the poster and book cover, and made a black-and-white of Ted for Hippip's tabloid. Well, a lot has happened - Hippip is going to write a tabloid, we are all "Grignano Publishing," which I hope will have an office upstairs ( if the gangsters have moved). In the interest of making trouble I invented some people from Emma Metropolitan's hidden past. I gave them names, and one in particular, Ted Wingnut (now Ted Manray due to an alt shortage), came to life in Enjah's amazing hands. She created Ted, who is irritating and wonderful. She made the avatars for the others, but Ted is THE ONE.
The characters:


J B Fustian, retired barber, has served two terms as the mayor. His son left town, and instead of handing the shop down to family, he had to sell it to his long-time employee Rufe Marquist. JB is rather religious now that he's near the grave, and his religious bent shows up mainly in his criticism of just about anything fun. In his younger days he was not religious, was something of a drinker and womaniser, and might have known Emma's mother. Emma's mother was the town slut. She raised Emma alone as no man claimed responsibility, although many in town were possible fathers. JB Fustion could be Emma's father. It's just as likely he's not, though.

Jean Frolic, who is Emma's age, went to school with her. They weren't part of the same group in high school, however the school was small (about 200 students) so they knew each other. Jean's mother, Fanta Jimnauseum, was quite a gossip and thought she knew everything, although she was fed lies and truths and didn't even try to tell them apart. Jean knows what her mother told her - but only Emma knows which are true and which are lies. Some of the old gossip is impossible to figure out, now, since everyone concerned is dead, however the gossip, like the Undead, keeps going.
Ted Wingnut is a victim of some age-related illnesses that cause him to make little sense at times. At least, he doesn't seem to make sense. He was an intimate pal of Emma's mother. Well, we think so, anyway. At times he says startling things that, if true, mean that there are many secrets in town. The secrets must be common knowledge amongst the townies, as they have been able to cover them up for - in some cases - 60 years. Or, he might just be saying things that have no basis in fact. Ted is the great grandfather of Edward Manray. Just this evening he met Emma and told her she reminds him of her daughter. He has a daughter?
Emma's real name is Norma Fellupian. She has gone to great pains to hide her past - even though the shame she feels was caused by the narrow-mindedness of the small town she lived in, and wasn't a result of anything she, herself, had done. Or was it?
Emma, Hippip, Os, Enjah talking in the bookstore.