Still, at least this will take her focus away from the fact that I will not be inviting thirty cousins and twelve great-uncles/aunts to come over from Ireland, Australia and Boston...

Yeah. That's kind of a ways for people to travel for a wedding anyway. Maybe it's just my family, but for anything beyond the 1st degree relatives (ones parents, siblings, and kids) it's kind of a toss-up whether they'll be crossing state lines to make a wedding. They may or may not send a gift.

{{{{omnis}}}} I'm glad for the good news, but still the situation ain't no easy.

Good news, Connie. And excellent news, P-C! Seriously, how I understand you, you have no idea. My current situation with the dating world is this: people I want to have all to myself with sexual/relationship intentions aren't interested in me, and vice versa. So I very envy you, and very glad for you.

Good luck with the planning, Seska. I cannot help with this.

ION, my living situation for next year took a radical turn. This morning someone who might be interested in my parents' house came. He was from Ma'ale Adumim (the settlement), and just got stationed here after building a new home for him and his family. A home which now could be excellent for my family.

So, in case we won't find a place in Jerusalem - and this will take more time than any of us planned - it seems like my parents might be renting his new place, while I'll stay in my old place in Jerusalem.

The bad news about this plan is that we won't be saving much this year, as a family. The good news is that it'll allow us to take things easy. I still don't know what to think - I feel little guilty to taking my parents' money for another year when they'll live so close, but this whole situation drove us crazy.

I'll keep looking for places we can afford. And keep my fingers crossed that the girl who wants to come and live in my place isn't all settled and will have other option (she didn't signed anything yet), because it looks like I'll stay for another academic year there.

This whole thing becomes a saga, I know.

My current situation with the dating world is this: people I want to have all to myself with sexual/relationship intentions aren't interested in me, and vice versa.

This has generally been my experience! And, who knows, maybe she just wants to be friends. Then my world will make sense again.

And, who knows, maybe she just wants to be friends

Oh, I know this so much. Mostly from the "I thought we're just friends" that turns out to "oh. You want more" situation.

In fact, I'm in a similar situation now. Or something that might be more. Don't know.

There's this guy, that the only thing I can say against him is that he's a bit older than me (in the beginning of his 30's, I'd say). He was in one of my classes last year, taking complementary classes to start his PhD this year. And from time to time, we talked. Every week or so we'd talk for about 30-40 minutes after the class, sometimes more than once a week. One time, after the last class of the year, he gave me a lift, and since it was the final class we "scheduled" to meet for coffee sometime next year when we'll run into each other.

It was nice and all, and he's a nice, very ambitious guy (he's planning to climb the Everest in 8 years. He's into these things). Also a computer geek, so we share some things in common.

But there came a point where I started wondering what's going on. I mean, I was cynical as usual, and usually that's enough to scare most people away and leave me time to watch TV and catch up on Natter, you know. Turns out my humor doesn't scare him, and when he's confused about my statements he's asking questions and trying to understand. Seriously, this is not something that's happening everyday in my life.

For me, it got Just a Friend writing all over it. I'm just not used to new male friends (who aren't married or in relationship) and are taking so much effort in trying to see me, talk with me and understand me (or as the civilians call it, "hang out"). I wouldn't mind dating him, I wouldn't mind him as a friend, but if we'll meet more I'll have to know what's the direction.

As I said, it's just weird for me.

Yeah, looks like you and I aren't so different, Shir. Except that you can use an M-16.

Yeah, looks like you and I aren't so different, Shir. Except that you can use an M-16.

What can I say, baby? Love and respect. Love, and respect.

Oh, and my mom doesn't force me to get married or fast. Just to be nice to some strangers I don't like who happens to be my relatives.

Late edit: seems like the wi-fi broke in the middle and it didn't post my post correctly, so it looked pretty offensive. I only now found it out, of course, after leaving the computer for several hours. I'm sorry about that, and hope it's clearer now.

My PCA is making me an Irish beef stew for dinner.

This may be the highlight of my week.

I've never had Irish beef stew. I like beef stew generally, so I'd probably like that, too.

It's the first gray, chilly weekend of fall here, so I'm making French onion soup for myself and some of my neighbors. (Out of the 12 units in my apartment complex, 4, including mine, are inhabited by fangirls. It's pretty awesome.) Right now the onions are cooking down in butter. It smells great.

I've never had Irish beef stew. I like beef stew generally, so I'd probably like that, too.

It's pretty much just beef stew with Guinness. Only I substituted other things for the Guinness, not having any, so it's not very authentic. With Guinness in, it's amazing.

Out of the 12 units in my apartment complex, 4, including mine, are inhabited by fangirls. It's pretty awesome.

That's fab! My neighbours are mainly too stuck-up to talk to me.

Cass, sorry it took so long, but you got a lil package heading your way. Woot for no rain, no crazy work, and not mired down in family crap. One out of 3 ain't bad, right?

Now I'm doing work on my day off, because they decide to not make any edits on the music they have had for THREE WEEKS until the NIGHT BEFORE REHEARSAL. Grrr. And they send an MP3, and the upconvert process to CD audio is making the funky electronic bass line sound funkier, and not in a good way. Oooh how mp3's can be a pain in the ass.