In July of 2008, two people met where the young woman saw the young man’s iPhone and asked about it. Numbers were exchanged, planes were caught. For two years, we on Jaiku saw Chibbi fall in love with her prince. A long distance relationship maintained by technology, determination, and true love. In February of 2010, that young couple got married with the intentions of living happily ever after. A true love story that isn’t written often anymore.

The love story has gotten complicated and this is where the birth of their dear child comes in. Known as Chibbigirl and Tankstar first on Jaiku then Twitter, Betty and Andy’s baby boy came into the world August 18. Nicholas is a cutie, and his cheeks are begging to be kissed. But Betty and Andy are having to face something that no one should ever have face. No parents should be dismissed from the hospital, without their child in their arms. Baby Nicholas is in NICU facing serious health issues, in one of the best hospitals of America. Prayers and technology are being relied for his care.

What I am about to ask of you, I’ve never asked of anybody in the entire three years I was on Jaiku and now on Twitter. Jaiku was a huge community for me and I know for many other people. A community of love, compassion, and family. We saw Chibbi fall in love and now we see her taking care of her baby. I and another fellow Jaikuian have set up a Paypal just for Betty and Andy. If we could all donate to these wonderful people, I know that it would be going to two people who need to feel some love. I know that right now, giving them another receiving blanket or diapers isn’t what is needed, but giving them something more tangible is. I feel like this is my gift to them. I am not getting anything out of this, except hoping I am doing the right thing for Betty and Andy.

For anyone who wants to donate, please sent it via PayPal to:

bettyandandytank@gmail.com

It will go directly to Betty and Andy for them to use as they need. When donating, please click on the “personal” tab and chose the “gift” option, as that will not take any portion for PayPal. Overseas people can send money to the USA, so if you are International, please feel free to give as well.

Again, this is for the two people we watched fall in love and start a family. I want to pitch in and help that family even in a little way and I hope you do as well.

• Communication: If you and your partner can not or will not communicate you are doomed from the start. It’s hard enough to deal with a lack of communication in a face to face relationship but it will destroy a long distance one. Do not keep things bottled up. Don’t assume your partner just knows what you want or what you are thinking. We live in a world where technology makes communication easier. Don’t discount email, txt, Skype, etc. They are all ways to talk to the one you love.
• Honesty and trust: You must be able to trust your partner and they you. That means no lies, no misdirection. The truth, no matter how hard to say or painful to hear, is better than a lie, which will come out and will hurt worse in the end.
• Never go to bed mad: Fights, while they suck, can and will happen. Resolve them. Do not let the anger and frustration brew. The last thing your love should hear from your lips before going to bed is that you love them.
• Say “I love you”: If you can mean it (and if not why the hell call it a “relationship”) tell the other person that you love them. There are times when the distance seems like too much but a simple heartfelt “I love you” over the phone or txt from your partner can make it seem doable.
• Pictures: Not being able to see the person you love is painful. Emailing or MMSing pictures to each other can take some of that sting away. I know that no matter how crappy my day has been a picture of my beautiful lady’s smiling face makes it better.
• Do “normal” things together, no matter how weird it seems: Go shopping together on Amazon.com, or both of you get take out and have dinner together on the phone. I know it seems really silly but these little things can be great.
• Don’t discount the old fashion: This may seem odd seeing as how I said to use technology to it’s fullest earlier but every once and a while send the one you love a real, honest to goodness love lever. I know that when ever I’ve gotten one from my darling it has always been a wonderful treat.
• Little gifts can mean a lot: Of course you’re going to send Christmas and birthday gifts if you can’t manage to be together on those days but a random Tuesday is a good time to send a gift too. It doesn’t have to be anything expensive, just a little something that shows you care and are thinking of them.
• A good relationship has three parts: Romance, friendship, and sexual desire. Find ways to keep them in balance and neglect none of them.
• Get together as much as possible: This seems like a no brainer but I’ll list it anyway as it is important. Find a way to get together as much as humanly possible. I manage to get out to my love for a few days every couple of months and, while it’s never enough, it stops us from going mad.

These tips are far from everything needed to keep a relationship going but they’re some important ones.

The problem is my life is pretty boring. I work, talk to my darling, and sleep. Thanks to my work schedule I don’t even have time to go out and play with my camera. In addition, writing doesn’t come naturally or easy for me. Even if I have something to say it takes me so long to beat it into something readable that I no longer care about it.

That being said I still miss it. Even though practically no one reads this (and I don’t blame them) it was nice to have a place to just post my thoughts. I have twitter and facebook but neither lend themselves to posting more than a sound bite. I’m not going to promise that I’m going to post more but I’m going to try, even if they’re short posts or barely coherent ramblings. At least it’s an outlet. One thing that will help is I found a pretty good WordPress client for my new phone (the phone will get its own post eventually) so I can compose a post no matter where I am.

The beginning of this year was my normal boring work-sleep-work cycle with occasional nice breaks of hanging out with some friends from work. That all changed three weeks ago when I finally got the guts to admit my feelings towards a special someone. Admit them to her and myself.

She was the unexpected. I wasn’t looking for love. In fact I had given up on it. She has pulled me out of my funk and shown me that life is beautiful and just existing is no way to go through life.

Melissa, thank you. Thank you for showing me that. Thank you for enlightening my life. And, most of all, thank you for loving me.

Death in our culture is always a solemn affair where everyone dresses in stuffy clothes and speaks in hushed tones. The family pays way too much money for embalming, a casket, funeral parlor, hearse, and all the other trappings “needed” to give honor to the dead.

Me, I don’t want all that.

My wishes are simple. When I’m gone I want my body given back to the earth as simply as possible. Stick my unpreserved shell in a hole without casket and plant a tree over me. Preferably an ash but an oak or native maple would do. As for a ceremony, something simple at the grave site if you must (No Judeo-Christian clergy please) then a party. Yes, I said a party. I want singing, dancing, and laughing. I want those that I loved in life to enjoy themselves. Of course they’ll be sadness but I won’t be in any pain and I’ll have a chance to see what happens next. So try to be happy. Have a drink, have fun, and remember that that last thing I’d want is for y’all to mope on my account.

This week I have three days of off-site training. It’s nice to be off my feet even if it was boring and the commute on Mon and Tues was a bit of a bitch.

I had wanted to start posting more but my life has gotten even more boring than usual so I haven’t had anything to report. I haven’t even been shooting, though I’m planning on going out this afternoon to see if I can find anything.

The first thing I need to do is save up for a new (to me) car. I love Lilith but she’s not super reliable and it would cost far too much to get her back into tip-top shape.

I start work full time on Monday. It’s swing-shift retail but the pay’s pretty good and the people seem nice.

The outside of the theater wasn’t much to look at, just old yellow brick and grubby doors, until you look up.   Near the top of the building are carvings of swirls and leaves like the columns of a Greek temple.   In a way the Harwin is a temple.   Like most theaters built in the early 1900’s it was a temple to the cinema.

I join the line of people standing outside waiting to be let in to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show.   There is the usual mix of freaks, goths, and people that seem far too normal to be spending their Saturday here.   It’s a bizarre mix of folks in slacks and polo shirts, guys in drag, some so convincing it’s best not to hit on anyone until you’re sure of their sex, and Goths, the guys wearing leather pants and frilly shirts and the girls wearing fishnets, corsets, and little else.

At midnight they open the doors and let us in.   Almost as soon as we pass through the doors we’re assaulted by death metal being played over the sound system at an almost ear-bleeding volume.   As I make my way through the lobby I notice the unique smell of the place.  It’s a mix of popcorn, dust, and the perfume of all the people there.

Over in the corner, a girl in a black tutu, corset, and black angel wings, looking like an evil fairy, is selling sandwich bags containing props for the audience.  Next to her is Frank, who plays Frank-N-Furter, who looks out of place in his sweater and khakis.

Everyone starts to head into the theater proper so I follow.  At the entrance, Glitter, so named for the glittery eyeliner she always wears, is handing out Pixie-Sticks.  In here the music is even louder.  I can feel the base rumbling in my gut as I take a seat.

A few minutes pass when the music is turned off and Frank steps out on stage in full costume.  In his platform boots, stockings, and bustier he looks the perfect Frank-N-Furter.  The girls and some of the guys in the audience start to whistle and cat call.  With a crooked smile he, in an almost perfect Tim Curry impression, tells everyone to settle down and calls for the virgins.  A virgin in this sense is someone who’s never seen Rocky Horror live.   Most of the new people were warned of this and resignedly start to head towards the stage.  Some of those weren’t warned try to make a break for it.  Troll Boy Chris, called such because of his height and scruffy looks, blocks the main exit while Glitter blocks another.  Frank calls out to the ones trying to get away, “Don’t worry.  I don’t bite… Hard.”

Eventually all those who are willing to play along are rounded up and brought up on stage.  The rest are left to resume their seats and watch.  The virgins are lined up on stage and the voting begins.  Frank explains that we are to cheer and clap to choose the male and female virgin of the week.  He then asks each virgin their name in turn, some giving him silly or absurd names.  Some stand there blushing while others ham it up for the crowd.  It’s usually the later that win.

With that part of the ritual done Frank goes off stage and they start showing the shorts before the movie.  The first is the Breakfast at Tiffany’s video.  People get up and start to dance.  In the isles, on the seats, and on stage are groups of people dancing.  The Goths with the preppies, the old, the young, guys, girls, everyone dances with each other making a truly surreal scene.  After the video, everyone sits back down and the show begins.