04 February 2003 - 5:21 p.m.

It's the question of the hour, as posed by Are, who claims to be the latter. Comforting.

There certainly are drawbacks to getting to know people you idolize beyond reason. One being that you can exchange pleasantries, recieve a compliment on your dress, blink, and find him sunken into the chair across from you rambling about deadlines passed, wordcounts exceeded, and an ending that just keeps getting farther away, and how you, of all people, will understand that feeling.

This can't bode well. Even if I'm glad we bonded. Not 30 minutes earlier I'd confessed my Grady Tripp syndrome to the other Jenn-with-two-ens and WW. Seriously. I know how my book will end, but can't even fathom figuring out how to get here.

Domani, we start Fellini. Domani, maybe misery will love company. But today, I feel a little shaken, and I'm not alone.

For what it's worth, the quote on my cat calendar for today is a Chinese proverb that reads, "The longer the night lasts, the more our dreams will be."

Wow. Thanks for the perspective, calendar! If I can just figure out what that has to do with cats, I'll be right back on top again.

What I'm wearing: Red 1950's velveteen dress, hose, black heels

What I'm reading: Peggy Lee, "Come Rain or Come Shine"

What I'm doing after this: Going to see Kurt Vonnegut