( Amusing survey! )

Should I worry that it sounds like pages from the diary of an IRA member?

Dear Nicole,
I don't really know how to tell you this, but you're a pervert. I think I realized it when your dwarf bit me in your camping car, and I saw you ignore my father. I'm sure you're cowardly enough to understand that Santa doesn't exist. I'm returning your ring to you, but I'll keep your photo as a memory. You should also know that I get sick when I think of Oprah Winfrey imitations.
Greetings to your freaky family,
~ Ally


( Not crazy, just crack... Explanation )

Tomorrow, April 1st, is my anniversary. We got each other tattoos.

( What 10 years will get you )

Because I was tagged...but I won't be tagging anyone, because I am usually the last to post!

( All will be revealed... )

Instructions: Open up your iTunes and fill out this survey, no matter how embarrassing the responses might be.

( A look inside my iTunes )

I tell you 10 things I love that start with the letter 'I' (given to me by kelinswriter). You comment, I give you a letter (but only if you ask for one) - then you can post in your journal, and so on...

In random order:
- Internet - I personally can't live without it, the greatest invention ever
- Iris - my favorite flower
- Ibanez - they make the best guitars/basses, I have owned 3 in my lifetime (current one is an AS73 in cherry)
- Integrity - quality that is most important to me in people - simply put: honesty and ethics; also, Integrity: the Lesbian and Gay ministry of the Episcopal Church, to which I belong.
- Ice Cream - my dessert of choice; I also like sherbet and gelato, but it's all ice cream to me (favorite flavors are: mint chocolate chip, and Daiquiri Ice from B&R)
- Intuition - mine is turned up pretty loud, and seems to be hardwired (I'm a Pisces, after all) it's pretty reliable, and keeps me out of trouble most of the time
- Irish - because I am, 99 percent (the other 1 percent is fuse)
- Indigo - the color, a cross between blue and purple
- Italian food = Pizza!!
- Idina!! - just love her (don't we all?)

So, this year, the Seattle Opera is doing Pagliacci for the first time in like 25 years. It runs from Jan 12-26, and the company I work for (Pagliacci Pizza) is providing the food for Family Day matinee on Jan 20. I was thinking of volunteering to serve that day, and maybe catch the show.

I am not a fan of the Opera. I can remember school field trips to the San Francisco Opera when I was in grade school. We saw La Traviata, and Madame Butterfly. The only thing I remember about the Opera itself is that in Madame Butterfly, the leading lady performs Hara Kiri - cool. The best part about those field trips was sitting next to DeeDee on the bus...

So, I go to the website to check up on this opera - Holy Cow! The tickets are $113!  Unless you have a student id., then you can get in for $15. What a crazy price range. All the more reason to loathe the opera...

(footnote: I would only consider paying $113 to see this if Kristin Chenoweth was in the role of Nedda, AND I had front row seats and a backstage pass) 
(footnote: Why would I want to give up time on my day off to serve pizza to a bunch of rich folks who just saw a show I couldn't get into? What was I thinking?)

So, here's a whaddayacallit  question thingy - I got from SMCTheGreat, who got it from various others. Reposting here to get to know you better.
Comments are screened so feel free to tell me what you really think. (I thieved that line! )

1. Do you have a tattoo?
2. How old are you?
3. Are you single or taken?
4. Fish?
5. Do you dream in color?
6. Ever seen a corpse?
7. How about them hipsters?
8. How did we meet?
9. What's your philosophy on life and death?
10. If you could do anything with me, and have no one know, what would it be?
11. Do you trust the police?
12. Do you like musicals?
13. What is your fondest memory of me?
14. If you could change anything about yourself what would it be?
15. Would you cheat?
16. What are you wearing?
17. Have you ever peed in a pool?
18. Would you hide evidence for me if I asked you to?
19. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together?
20. Which do you prefer - short or long hair?
21. What's your favorite day of the week?
22. What's your favorite color?
23. If you could bring back anyone that has passed, who would it be?
24. Tell me one interesting/odd fact about you?
25. What was your first impression of me?
26. Have you ever done drugs?
27. Will you post this so I can fill it out for you?

A short conversation

Iris fingered the business card, running along the edges, half wishing it were sharp enough to cut her skin. Recalling her anger from yesterday, she grabbed the phone and dialed the cell number.  It started to ring once, twice…and Iris lost her nerve and quickly shut her phone. She paced around the living room, looking out to the ocean, trying to calm herself.  She dialed the number again, taking in a deep breath as she listened to it ring. It connected, and she could hear the blond’s voice, cold and businesslike ‘This is Allison.” After a moment’s pause, “Hello?” And once again, she lost her nerve and disconnected, tossing the phone onto the couch.

Iris drove to the studio lot just before noon, telling the gate guard she was meeting her husband for lunch. A little white lie, since Tim had called to say he was done shooting for the day, and had a meeting until 1 o’clock.

Allison was surprised to see the brunette standing near the catering service spread as she drove back onto the set. ‘Now what?’ she muttered to herself as she got out of the Caddy. She strode quickly, catlike, until she was just behind Iris. The brunette hadn’t noticed her approach. “What are you doing here?’ Allison asked in a quiet, commanding way. Iris turned, startled by the taller woman’s presence. “I..um…I mean…looking for you actually”.

“Well it seems you found me”.

“Yes, well…can we get some coffee and just…maybe…talk for a minute?” Iris felt herself swallow hard.

Allison sized up the woman, and simply nodded, holding out her arm in an ‘after you’ manner.

Iris found her hands starting to shake as she added sugar to her paper cup full of coffee. Why was she feeling, what, nervous? Frightened? Attracted? She tried to shake it off, as Allison grabbed a bottled water, and led them to a table far away from the crew members who had started to arrive for lunch. As they sat, Allison smirked at the blond and said “you’re not planning on dousing me with that hot coffee, are you?”  Iris quickly looked up at that remark, and almost did spill her coffee. “What!?” she stammered, and then “No, no, I wouldn’t do that” Allison sat down and let a tiny “Mmhmm” escape under her breath. They sat in silence for a few minutes, neither one making eye contact.

“So you’re married?” Iris asked, making small talk as she gathered her nerve.

“Widowed, actually”

“Sorry, the ring threw me, so I assumed…”

“It was fairly recently.”

“Still in mourning?”

“Something like that”.

An awkward minute rolled by.

“So, about the other night…” she started again.  Allison turned her attention to the brunette, waiting. Iris looked uncomfortable, wanting Allison to finish her sentence, absolve her of the responsibility of an apology or explanation.

“Nothing happened, you know”.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I just, well…” Iris tried to find the right words. She was struggling to not reveal her deep feelings of self-doubt to this woman she hardly knew. Allison just waited, but her gaze softened a bit with compassion for Iris.

Taking a deep breathe, Iris started again. “The last few months have been hell, with all the rumors about Tim and I divorcing, and all the press about him having affairs with every bimbo in town.  I just get a little crazy, you know?”

“A little crazy?” Allison raised her eyebrows.

“You know how this town can be. It seems like we can’t be just a normal couple.”

“You’re both actors, how is that normal?”

Iris fought the urge to respond, seeing how Allison wasn’t letting this conversation flow as easily as she had hoped. Allison’s gaze, while compassionate, was also challenging. What was it about this blond woman that made her feel safe and scared in the same instant?

After another minute of awkward silence, Allison looked out toward  the lot and said “Listen, Iris, I get it. You’re married to a very handsome, high profile actor. Media, tabloids, drama…It’s not like I haven’t seen this situation before. I just try to steer clear of it all. As for yesterday’s turmoil, it’s already forgotten; no need for apology.” Looking back at Iris, she was suddenly struck by the other woman’s stunning green eyes, and at that moment she was almost lost in their depth, feeling herself falling… Iris blinked, and the moment was gone. ‘Why was this happening?’ Allison thought for the second time in two days.

This is the first part of a fiction that is writing itself in my head, when I'm not busy using parts of  my brain (and sometimes when I am!)

If you stumble across it, please be kind and nurturing to it (and it's writer).

Green-Eyed Monster (Part 1)

**Allison**

Allison awoke around noon, hearing voices arguing, coming ever closer down the hall.  Seconds later, the guest room door burst open.

 “What!? Who is she, and why is she wearing your t-shirt?” the woman shrieked, as she pulled the comforter off the bed, exposing Allison’s bare legs to the cool air.

“Baby, please, I’m trying to explain…” he began. “It was a late night…”

“I’ll just bet it was” she hissed, before turning to Allison and saying in a flat tone “Get out” and storming off back down the hall. The shouting diminished, but Allison could still hear them arguing hotly as she quickly dressed in her bra, white shirt and dark pants. She carefully folded the comforter and Tim’s t-shirt and laid them carefully on the bed. Grabbing her cell phone off the nightstand, she quickly checked her messages, and returned 2 calls, before stepping barefoot into the hall and gathering her blazer and boots from the coat rack. She followed the sound of their voices to find them standing on opposite sides of the kitchen counter.

Allison spotted her keys on the counter where she left them the night before, and reached in front of the woman, who snatched them away at the last minute. Fingering the key ring, and squinting to read the inscription, she spat out “Fidelity, huh? You’re married, and you’re sleeping with my husband, you call that fidelity?” She tossed the keys back to the counter, where they landed with a loud clatter.

Allison took a deep breath, and pocketed her keys before she spoke. “Lady, you don’t know what you’re talking about. Yes, I slept. Tim, did you sleep?”  Tim nodded his head. “There you have it. We both slept. But not together. End of discussion.”  The woman’s mouth dropped open, not expecting such a calm, controlled response, as Allison turned to Tim and said “You have a 10 o’clock shoot. I’ll send Daniel back with a car at 8:30”. Tim started to say, “Allison, wait…” but Allison had turned her attention back to the woman, who still looked dumbfounded. Looking her right in the eye, she said “I’m sorry to have disrupted your homecoming”, and with a quick look back at Tim, she left the house.

She brought the Caddy to life, warming it only briefly before pulling out and driving towards the city. After a few minutes, she eased the car off the road, and put her head in her hands. 'Why was this happening?' she thought.

**Iris**

 She was happy and excited to be home. But when she opened the door, and saw the boots and jacket, she was on alert. The keys on the kitchen counter. That’s when she knew the black Caddy STS in the driveway wasn’t her husband’s rental.

She felt herself start to lose it; how many times had she suspected his philandering, and now here she thought was the proof.  Charging into the kitchen, she startled Tim who was brewing tea at the stove.

“Whose car is that” she demanded. Tim tried to collect himself, and steer the conversation. “Hi, honey, you’re home early!” He sounded surprised; surprised by what she immediately wondered, as she crossed the room quickly to confront him.

“Who?” she repeated. “What’s been going on out here?”

“It’s..it’s..someone from work, from the studio, just a..”

“Are bimbos part of your perks now?” Iris could feel her anger turn to rage, as Tim continued to stutter.

“No, honey, nothing like that…wait, what!? What do you mean by that” he managed to stammer, as he watched his wife storm into the hall and straight for the guest room where Allison was asleep.

“What!? Who is she, and why is she wearing your t-shirt?” Iris shrieked, as she pulled the comforter off the bed, exposing Allison’s bare legs to the cool air.

“Baby, please, I’m trying to explain…” Tim began. “It was a late night…”

“I’ll just bet it was” she hissed, before turning to Allison and saying in a flat tone “Get out” and storming off back down the hall.

“Baby, please calm down, it’s not what you think” Tim tried again, but Iris couldn’t hear through her rage.

“Is this what you came to California for?” she shrieked. “To fool around on me? Do you honestly think I’m that dumb?

Now it was Tim’s turn to get angry. “I have been working nonstop since I got here. I haven’t even had time to socialize, except for drinks with a few close friends…”

“Oh yeah, how close is she” seethed Iris, looking back down the hall towards the guest room.

“Who?  Allison?  We just met…”

“Oh that’s really rich, Tim, and you expect me to believe you’re not sleeping with her? Especially with her long tan legs and her long blond hair and her California look…” Iris’ voice caught in her throat, and she looked away quickly, trying to conceal that her rage was turning to hurt.

Tim's cell phone jangled, and he shook his head at his wife as he turned to take the call. “Michael?  Hi, what’s up?” she heard him say as he stepped out onto the patio and closed the slider.  She tried to collect her thoughts, make some sense of it all. She had wanted to come home early, surprise him, tell him how much she missed him while she was in New York, how much she loved him…she caught her breathe in a hiccup as she thought that, and was sure she could feel something start to slip away, out of her control.

Tim came inside, waving his cell phone and stating “Studio. We start night shoots tonight” as an explanation. Iris said nothing; she just stared at him with her cold green eyes. He sighed, not knowing how to proceed, when Allison entered the kitchen. She nodded at Tim, and started to reach for her keys on the kitchen counter where she had left them the night before. Iris quickly snatched them from her reach, glaring at her, and squinting at the inscription on the keyring.

“Fidelity, huh? You’re married, and you’re sleeping with my husband, you call that fidelity?”  She angrily tossed the keys back onto the counter, where they landed with a clatter.

 Allison took a deep breath, and pocketed her keys before she spoke. Iris felt the other woman look her directly in the eye as she spoke:

“Lady, you don’t know what you’re talking about. Yes, I slept. Tim, did you sleep?”  Tim nodded his head. “There you have it. We both slept. But not together. End of discussion.” 

Iris’ mouth dropped open in surprise. No one dared to speak to her like that! ‘Who does she think she is?’ she thought.  Allison turned to Tim and said “You have a 10 o’clock shoot. I’ll send Daniel back with a car at 8:30”. Tim started to say, “Allison, wait…” but Allison had turned her attention back to Iris.  Looking at her directly again, she said “I’m sorry to have disrupted your homecoming”, and with a quick look back at Tim, she left the house.

Tim crossed over to his wife, putting his arm up to caress her shoulder, saying, “Baby, please, let me explain…:

“Don’t touch me” Iris said in a voice as cold as her eyes, as she shrugged him off. She went upstairs to the master suite, slamming the door behind her, just as the tears started to fall.

Later, after she had calmed down, Tim explained the prior evening’ events, and they had made love until sunset. After the car arrived to wisk him off to the studio, Iris found the business card in his pants pocket.  ‘Allison James, Transportation Captain’, it read, with a studio number and a cell phone number listed. Iris made a mental note to call that number tomorrow.