I seem to have a tiny demon ensconced in my right nipple. Has this ever happened to anyone else on earth? I have this sporadic sharp twinging pain in the aforementioned nipple, and it hurts. It freaking hurts.

It helps if I (this may be an overshare) pinch it. That seems to quell the demon momentarily. And yet, soon, he is back to his dastardly stabbing of me from the inside with an itty bitty hot knife.

I have nothing to add to this.

This weekend, Laurie and went to North Beach for a night on the town. Joey was supposed to join us, but she ended up taking off to Reno at the last minute with her boyfriend and some friends.

It was my first jaunt to North Beach. I drove to Laurie's house, and we took a cab to a restaurant called Michelangelo's. Great Italian food, fabulous décor. They start you off with bread, butter, and Greek olives, and at the end of the meal, they bring a gigantic bowl of gummi bears and a plate of cookies. How cool is that?

I then made my first trip to City Lights Bookstore. I almost went up to the cashier and asked him, "Hey, do you have any poetry here?" It would have been funny, but I didn't do it. (It would have been funny because City Lights was the flash point of the Beat Movement, and one of the last living Beats still lives above the store.)

The Poetry room was upstairs, and I almost wet my pants over it. They had everything there-- obscure Los Angeles poets that I've seen read, and even an old issue of my own school's literary magazine. If we hadn't been going dancing, I would have loaded up on the books. As it is, I am making plans to go there on my next day off. It made me wish I had a million dollars.

Then we went and had a drink at a bar where Laurie has a crush on the doorman. The bar was on a street with about seventeen porn theaters and strip clubs. That North Beach-- it's a classy place! All the guys were sitting there nursing beers, as if they'd just finished jacking off in 25 cent adult video booths and were feeling a little drained.

Which, let's face it, was probably the case. But at least none of them harassed us. They didn't have the energy for it, I'm sure.

The Tiki Room, where we went dancing, was way cool. (I don't think it was actually called the Tiki Room, but it had palm trees and coconut drinks, so whatever.) We danced on the stage, we danced around the tables, we danced on the dance floor, we danced with boys. We danced, danced, danced the night away.

And we had some really good conversation, too. It was great to spend some quality one-on-one time together.

It's been awhile since we've checked in with the Sims, hasn't it?

There's a new family in town: the Gay family. The two Gays are Russell Crowe and Nels. I had fun designing their house as gayly as possible, complete with pink walls and a penis shaped pool.

Now, complete with testicles!

The only other news is that Mo Pie-Winslet continues to be the biggest slut in all the land. First, she put the moves on Eleanor.

Busted by the lesbian police.

Then she invited three of her admirers over. Russell Crowe, wearing the gladiator gear, is bringing her a fruitcake. Tim has his back turned. He brought a box of candy, which Mo Pie promptly tossed onto the grass. And Mickey is patiently waiting his turn, bearing flowers.

She's a slut, but she knows how to work it.

Later (once she had slipped into something more comfortable, I guess) Mickey caught her smooching Tim on the lawn.

At least it isn't a kiss of the ass grabbing variety.

I guess he didn't take it so well. Later on, when Mo Pie (slut! slut!) tried to put the moves on him, he wasn't having any of it.

Well, at least she still has the flowers...

And here are some pictures of the real, less slutty, Mo Pie.

Here I am at work.

In minion garb.

Here I am doing my reading.

Muppet Hat, ho!

And here I am after the reading, looking about as drunk as I have ever been. I'm clutching Probst's hand for dear life.

Hold me up, or I think I will fall over.

"I am having a crisis. It’s a crisis with many layers. In fact, it’s like a geological cross section of the earth, except that instead of magma, there’s a crisis. And instead of crust, there’s a crisis. And instead of the earth’s molten core... there’s another fucking crisis.

(You know, sometimes I don’t even think these metaphors through. Amazing, isn’t it?)"