steph

My mom's side of the family is 100% Italian. In fact, my great-grandparents immigrated from there before my grandmother was born. I think I'm mostly influenced by my grandma's extended family (she had 7 brothers and sisters). You know, Italian food (cookies, homemade pasta, spinach pies), big get-togethers, that sort of thing --did I mention the food? I actually knew the great-aunts and uncles (who were all first-generation American) better than I did the cousins my age. My dad's side of the family is mainly Portuguese (75%). My grandfather immigrated with his family when he was a boy. My grandmother's mom was French, though. I think from Canada. Interaction with this side of the family didn't go much beyond the immediate family, and we're pretty much all Americanized by now --except for a few special food items here and there. You know how hard it is to find Portuguese chorico (sausage) in Oregon?! Food. A way to bring people together. --------------------- Hey Kevin, if you're looking for a slow-paced, laid-back community, don't bother looking at NY or MA! I just moved from there to Oregon looking for a more laid-back climate. While OR isn't as liberal as I'd like, it's definitely slow paced and laid-back.

I agree, Kevin. I think it's possible to be in love with more than one person at the same time --the problem is in the choosing... who will be best for you in the future, who will grow with you and commit to maintaining the relationship over time. Personally, I think some failed relationships are a matter of timing. The love may be there, but the togetherness is not.

Corvus, you might be on to something here. I've read stories from all over the net, so I can't be totally sure, but it seems right. Personally, I hate fanfiction, because (like someone mentioned earlier) it warps the characters and ruins the original storyline for me. But, more and more fanfic sites do include sections for stories with original characters, and these stories as considered slash. Writers also mislabel some of these stories as Yaoi. Okay, I'll give it to Corvus that they're mainly women, but (like Graeme said) it's not all inclusive either way.

Really? weird... usually people forget my birthday *because* it's on a holiday. I sometimes have friends who call to say Happy New Year and forget to say Happy Birthday. Makes for an amusing or awkward conversation, depending on whether I remind them or not!

a friend from high school and a friend from college were both born on v.day. another friend from college was born the day before on Valentine's Eve I'm more curious to find out how many people were born on New Year's Day... how many others, like me, get free fireworks shows all over the country that announce their birthday?

Thanks for the suggestions, guys!

So, Comicality has soooo many stories posted that I don't know where to start! Well, that's not totally true... I've already read New Kid in School, but *sigh* it's on going. Are all of his series stories works in progress? Any suggestions on which stories I should read first? Thanks! Steph

Comsie, I always feel so smart when I recognize foreshadowing. So, make me feel good and plan a little! Plus, I'm sometimes annoyed by plot twists that are totally out of the blue. But like everyone said, too much planning can sometimes stifle creativity. I think a lot of it depends on how your mind works best. I've seen some writer discussions that talk about how their characters got away from them and totally went off the deep end, but created one of the best scenes in the story. I think the most important thing would be to remember to stay in character. All characters grow and change, but if your characters start acting manic, then the story will suffer. Thanks, Steph

Some advice on choosing a place to buy... obviously, you want to look at where you want to live and what amount of space and amenities you need, but remember that the purchase is not only a place to live but also an investment. So, try to consider resale value when you choose a place. For example, stick to nicer cities or towns, stay away from places that are too small (like a studio condo). As for amenities, you could sometimes update afterwards, like adding new carpeting or woodfloors --all depends on what is desired in your area. When I moved from Massachusetts to Oregon in the US, I was surprised that most places here don't have A/C, but then again, OR doesn't get the same humidity in the summer as MA does. Anyways, considering resale value also depends on how long you plan to live in the area where you buy. In the US, the market isn't the greatest, but if you plan to stick around, you could make a nice investment if you choose wisely. Good luck! Steph

I understand the need for a hiatus to writing. What I would like to see is some sort of sign that a story is complete or not before I get to the last posted chapter. DK does that, and it just reduces the shock of when you get to the last chapter and there's nothing more. Ack! Need someone to update the webpages? I'll volunteer! Thanks, Steph