And y'know, now that I think on it, I wonder if those of us who are already adults are at a disadvantage, netiquette-wise? I mean, my real-world manners are hard-wired. Irritatingly so, even. On the other hand, I was already an adult when I first came online -- if there had been an internet back when I was a kid, would netiquette be as ingrained as general etiquette?

Of course, I also see a lot of adults online complaing about the manners, spelling, and pretty much everything else about kids online, so I guess there's no guarantees...

Anyhow, at least a part of my title up top is true. This is to say, for one, that my living room is very, very clean, even if I still have to clean the kitchen. And the bathroom. And the bedroom. Dammit. When I didn't work, I'd do all that in one day!

Oh yeah -- the part about cold medicine shots is true, as well. That's right -- even as I write this, I have an open bottle and a shot glass in front of me. And while I will not drink until the memories go away (that would probably take a lot of this particular drink) I fully do intend to keep going until the sniffling, coughing, aching, and all the rest are gone. Or until I pass out from too much cold medicine, which is probably more likely to happen.

And do you wonder why I am doing this? Well, I'll tell you -- I mean, this first part should be obvious. I'm sick, duh. Sucks ass. Every frickin time, that sudden switch from "the nights are warm" to "bring a jacket" catches me dead to rights. I think it's because I'm such a layer person in general that it takes a big mental shift to get me to just wear a light layer -- and accordingly, a big shift to move back. Thankfully, phlegm and fever are always quite helpful in that whole reminder department.

Ah, and the other reason I'm doing shots, besides feeling like crap? Because I've felt like crap for two days, worked both days, could not sleep for coughing last night (after not having eaten all day because I just felt horrible) and this evening, after buying cold medicine, I returned to recall -- oh right, I have a whole bottle of cold medicine already! Yep, that bugged just a bit, what with the not sleeping and last night.

Plus, I saw that this bottle expires this month, whereas I just bought more cold medicine than I'll possibly need for this one cold. So my hope is to go into a cold-medicine stupor and come out of no longer sick. Hey, what's life without dreams, right?

And, since it's been so long, how's stuff besides the sickness? Meh, it's not bad. Working seven days a week kinda sucks ass, as you would imagine. The weekday job is rewarding in many ways but challenging both for the guys (and dealing with their mental illness) and for the other staff (who are mostly just lazy fuckers). Actually, the one thing that sucks about that job is that I have the management position without the management authority -- which is exactly why the staff slacks, because who's gonna do anything about it?

Still doing the hospital gig on the weekends, and frankly it's just too well fit to what I'd like for a second job to quit. I mostly work by myself, so no office politics, plus all that I'm responsible for I'm solely responsible for -- if I do good I get the credit, if I screw up I get the blame. I like this, of course, because I don't screw up often.

Also doing a telephone hotline sort of thing that people call up when their worlds are just falling apart, and possibly they are considering suicide. Finished the training maybe a month ago, I've been on the phones (one night a week) for maybe four weeks now. This too I find rewarding, because I figure everyone has some time where everything is just wrong, and you just need to talk to someone. And, even if I am doing it mostly for my internship, I rather like that sometimes, I am that someone.

Oh, and speaking of the internship, I still need to send the completed form in and register at my school. Yes, yes, I am a slackass. But as far as I'm aware, I should still be able to register, so it's all good.

Working? Yup. Paying off bills? Um ... yeah, mostly. Let's come back to this one? Learning? Yep, got that one covered. Having fun? Turns out, that's a yupper, too. I still play my online game too much, but I actually do enjoy my friends when I do get to see them, and I even enjoy the guys in my house (and one of my coworkers) most of the time. So basically, I'd say things are going hunky-dory.

Ah, and my love life? To this we must answer, "what love life"? The last two times I was out with GBF, somehow at the end of the night, when he made a last trip to the loo, I got some woman to come over and hang out. I mean, the first one I just waved at her and said hello. The second I inquired if she'd said she was from my home state (she had). But I left both situations with phone numbers ... that I never called. Really, between the seven-day work week and the loyal gaming, when am I supposed to find time for romance and such?

And am I cool with that? Yeah, actually, I am. I mean, don't get me wrong, I would love to be in a happy, stable relationship. But I'm realizing I actually need someone who has basic values and morals in common with me to have that ... so where do I find a bright, seriously spiritually-oriented but not "religious", politcally-minded (with a socialist worldview), generally kind and open-minded woman ... who has original views on relationships and gender roles, disdains conspicuous consumption and social climbing, and hopefully has an interest in comic books, sci-fi, and gaming? Oh, and who is mentally stable and is not interested in rehashing past hurts indefinitely?

Right. See, I'm SOL even before I add in, "Smoking hot and sexually insatiable."

The point being, of course, that I'm thinking my "strangeness" makes me a rather difficult one to just pair off. I haven't hit the gym in over a year now, but I still get appreciative looks and even comments. So ya, I'm pretty. But danged if I'm not a weird one.

So basically, I've figured I need a weird lady.

Hey, if you know one who's single, hook a brother up. The smoking hot and insatiable thing, as it turns out, I'm quite flexible about. The rest seems to be necessity.