Underwear that no one will be seeing, but I�ll know is h-o-t.

Additionally, I got a NYE outfit that is significantly subdued from the previous two years. The past two years were tailored specifically to Benito�s *um* enjoyment. This year, however, there will be no extreme slut gear. I got a silky, sparkly rose-colored top that makes my skin glow and looks great with my jeans with the rose-colored stitching.

There won�t be any hanky-panky this year, so I�ll keep it simple and make it something I�ll wear again. Ya know, like on a date or something...

I accepted my first real-real date from someone I met on MySpace. (In addition to the three non-dates I�ve had thus far.) Oddly enough, it was Benito who encouraged me to sign up for a MySpace account a few weeks ago when I complained about having only a couple girl friends in the city and how my main friend (Happy) is moving off in a mere few months.

It�s time to pick up my dragging ass and get on with things anyway, so bring on the wacky dates. There�s nothing like passing the time with a few weirdoes. If nothing else, my girlfriends previously loved hearing about these random dates. And now that I don�t give two craps about what makes it onto this page (previously out of fear that he who I busted on would get his feelings hurt), you too can get the full scoop.

This guy has no troll-like qualities in his photos. His reply pertained to my profile. It was actually a little funny. He wrote in complete sentences.

Why the hell not?

No harm. No foul.

In other news, I�m preparing to head back to Chicago. I�ve got a busy next few days in Dallas, and my days once I return to Chicago are even more so packed.

Someone close to both me and Benito asked me the other day about why I�m just now taking up all of these hobbies and if I felt that Benito held me back from pursuing things I was interested in. It�s not that at all.

I just feel that when you�re with someone you want to see often, you take stock of what you want to do, and you prioritize it accordingly. Running was important to me. Starting my book was tpp. Oddly enough, watching Law and Order was also on that list. Not to be outdone with the boob tube, hand writing letters and making long phone calls to friends was also on the list.

I did these on the three or four days a week that I didn�t see Benito. The other days were reserved for him and our interests together. Eating sushi and splitting a bottle of red wine. Watching TV while intertwined on the couch. Propping our heads on opposite ends of the couch and talking until early in the morning.

I�d take any of those with him over any silly ukulele lessons any day of my waking life.

So have no doubt about if the man might have held me back. I now just have an entirely open week that I�m filling with new people, new experiences, and some potentially funny stories to later share with someone who also likes to split a bottle of red wine and spend quiet evenings at my house.

So there.

Onto other topics, now.

A couple nights ago, Astral, her boyfriend, and I stayed up late drinking beers, watching TV, and playing cards. I completely forgot that I was previously dorm master at Speed, so there were many ass kickings given. I held the table as champion the entire night, and then I retired to wash my face and brush my teeth to let them give each other some actual competition.

I�m a pretty competitive person. Challenge me to a hotdog eating contest, and I�ll figure a way to take your ass down without me consuming any meat. I�m sneaky like that. (Benito once said I was diabolically smart. Go figure.)

You�d think I�d remember that I ruled the school at Speed and then insisted that it be the only game I ever played with anyone. It�s now a Note to Self for later stupid human tricks.

Okay. I�m too distracted. It�s time to get some work done.�