sumi, it wasn't my favorite episode ever but there were some shiny bits. As you say Street and Matt, Landry's jealousy nearly sabatoging Tyra's apology, Tami at the roast, Smash realizing that he really just likes being with Waverly and misses her when she's not around.

But the thing that I liked best and brought me to tears Tyra desperately wanting the attempted rape to just go away. That whole thread just had me bawling. When Tami told Landry that it's understandable that the person would feel embarassed and like it would hurt their reputation-even though at the time Landry was talking about himself, that's exactly why many women don't report rape. Can you imagine Tyra on the stand? "Mrs. Collette, don't you hang out at your sister's workplace 'The Landing Strip,' a gentlemen's club? Didn't your mother have an affair with Buddy Garrity? Ms. Collette, are you a virgin?" Tami was right to get her to report it. If they catch the fucker, then that could save several other women, but the humiliation, embarassment. Poor Tyra.

I also liked nay loved Lyla tonight. She calmly got out of the car, gave him a 'fuck you' look, freaked a bit, but by the time he showed up at her house, she'd figured herself out. She's prissy, and not someone I would have hung out with in high school, but she's smart and at least she doesn't lie. Not even to herself.

One more thing Tami, y'all do have a good relationship, and you're mature adults. But that commute will put a big strain on the strongest relationships. It gets far to easy to decide you're too tired to call that night, so you let it go. You stop sharing stuff. You start having different circles of friends. I'm just sayin' Love, BTDT

Oh, yeah -- Lyla rocked tonight - she just is in no mood to put up with anyone's bullshit. And Smash - bringing cake back for Waverly -- that was so cute. And it's so true -- you cannot do that long distance thing w/o fundamentally changing something in the relationship. And that's why you don't do that if you don't have to, you know? And the thing in the promo. . . see I can't help but feel that how things works out depends on whether or not they're going to renew the show. So I still feel antsy about it.

Ugh, sometimes I'm not that bright. All of a sudden, I started feeling not so good in my tummy. Yeah, that's because I bought sugar free cough drops and have been eating them constantly. Sugar free candy stuff always makes me ill! Der.

I would like to hear what's up with sara's friends now.

sumi, I almost ffwd through that scene. I had to stop it at various points. AWFUL. Realistic, but uhg.

I gotta say, I'm tickled pink by my friend's 15 y.o. stepson's rushed goodbyes because she wasn't home and South Park was on: "OK, Love you bunches Sara, bye!"

How often do you get a 15 year old boy in the throughs of teenage whackoness saying that to his stepmom's good friend? Yeah, I bought him a primo skateboard and safety gear, but that was 2 years ago! And he's had seriously insane attachement issues. This wasn't rote, this was sincere and makes me so happy for him and how much he's gained.

Oh good, I'm glad I wasn't the only one. And yet, I don't think that Riggins was devastated . . . if he had been likely to feel that way -- he wouldn't have said it, you know?

When 15 year old boys like me...well, it's not love, usually.

Am in the throes of a major migraine without pain. I am beyond irritated with it, but it's too late to get a sub for tonight's class, so it's me or bust. If I'm lucky, it'll be passovered out.

I was an angelic kid in comparison to any of the bust ups referred to here--actually, perhaps not a pleasing kid, not one you show off to your friends, but my worst issues were reading too much.

Which made my mother think of me as antisocial, something she believed way into my 20s. Not sure how much of my university "socialising" she really wanted to hear about.

I would like to hear what's up with sara's friends now.

Well, they are neat and awesome people and I'm really really lucky to be able call them friends and it just bowls me over they call me friend too. As for placenta-freakout causing friend, that's all good too, just not what I was fed at the time. And um, I've realized how freaking reticent I can be. So much so that when I do reach out, it causes...um, not consternation, but...um. Something. I'm stunned by the reactions of concern for me and those I call mine.

Honestly, I'm probably more forthright about my emotional state in the semi-anonymous online world than I am in meatspace (outside my family.) Which is all kinds of fucked up, but anywho.

Well, they are neat and awesome people and I'm really really lucky to be able call them friends and it just bowls me over they call me friend too.

You're a noodle.

Which is all kinds of fucked up, but anywho.

Eh. Just because we don't know where you live it doesn't mean we don't count.

But more seriously--friends fall into different categories all the time. Sometimes you can draw other lines around them and say "online friends get this, out of town friends get that" but I don't think it's fucked up if you are being honest with yourself about it. Because those lines are pretty much coincidental for me. The important categorisation is how I am with them, not where they are (or their gender or whatever other demographic slots you're looking to fill).

For my mom, I was an easy kid. Sure, around 15 there was a set-to in which she declared she loved me, but she didn't really like me right now ( basically, I was being an irrational bitch from hell.) I tore up a lovely admiring note she'd sent me earlier, and then taped it back together in a fit of apology later. I still have it. The whole like and love thing has stuck with me in a very good way. It was a good lesson.

Poor dad, nsm. I wasn't the terror my brother was to both of them, but I seriously hurt him on numerous occasions.