(no subject)

( First, some quizzie-meme-type things.... )

Originally, tonight was supposed to feature a visit from an old friend who's recently returned to the area. Of all my friends, he's the one that's been around the longest; we met in the fall of 1985, and were inseparable for years. He moved to Minnesota back in 1999, about a year after Megan and I married.... and a year before the lie I'd been living went down in flames. He's not seen me since before the FMS onset... before the strokes... before the GID and associated mayhem finally burst free and twisted things into something radically different from what had gone before. To say I've been dreading this particular reunion would be a bit like saying Greenland is a 'mite chilly'. He's a solid, blue collar, beer and titties kind of person, and was -not- known for excessive amounts of compassion and understanding on things that society would brand as 'faggy'... and unless he's grown/changed substantially in the last five years, that's where I'll get filed. And then things will get ugly.

I've had to deal with so much flak in the last four years that I've gotten very terse when folks start down that path. After being the target of assault at Otakon last year, 'terse' has stepped into 'twitchy'. It wasn't a noticeable thing unless someone who -knew- me was with me, as at the time it was limited to a shift in phrasings and adjustments of body posture to provide better balance if I need to defend myself. Now... with the pain meds halved, and the railgun powered moodswings... I've been told twice that 'twitchy' has become 'evil'. This is an old friend... someone I've got a lot of truly insane memories with. Concerts, camping trips, gaming meetings, on-the-fly trips to most anything within 500 miles of home, and general fun. But it's complicated.

When I unveil all of this, despite the normal assumption that 'blue collar'='dullard', he's more than smart enough to string odd moments together and realize that I nursed a serious crush on him for years. Awkward isn't going to even be in the right galaxy...

Things came up tonight, and it's starting to look like the visit'll be put off at least a day or so... but I'm still more than a little worried about this going disastrously bad. I've had several folks toss the 'you find out who your friends are' proverb-ish stuff at me... but this is close to twenty years of thinking of him as family.

And I can't get my mind to not worry...

I -never- make 'minor' errors of judgment...

Said friend showed up. Greeted me with a hug. Friend showed up with mutual friend, who -also- greeted me with a hug.

This perplexes me; neither of them are 'hug' people... it's always been the 'manly' firm handshake and a 'how's it hangin'. My puzzlement must've been evident on my face, which caused no end of amusement in the old friend. When he quit laughing at my growing confusion, he smiled and said 'Heather told me. You're still you. Relax. But you're always gonna be < much hated birth name > to me, even if you're in a ballgown and stiletto heels'.

This got, and I'll be completely honest, a squeak and a shocked stare. Heather is old-friend's ex... and one of the few folk I trusted early on to check my thinking and function as a sounding board. It's been three years... and I had no inkling that a) she'd told him, or b) that he'd just shrugged it off back then as 'he, she... still the same weirdo I met back in 85. Why should I stop liking... her?.. now?'

And the mutual friend, as it turns out, has been completely dolled up by a small army of ladies into the forced femme scene, and remains amused by it all... rather than the stereotypical 'threatened manhood' reaction. They stayed a bit over two hours, made plans to swing back by in a few days, and headed homewards.

Leaving me staring flabbergasted at the departing taillights. I think my brain broke. I... have very very badly underestimated Tom. He knew it; he could see it in my face. And rather than being irritated, he thought I looked comical... and told me I needed to find a good gay guy and get thoroughly pounded so I could think straight again. This is not the man that left here for Minnesota five years ago. I... *blush* Well, I'm aware that his stance remains strictly hetero... but he's cute the same way the bear is.

And with his apparently muchly revised standards of what's cool and what's too freaky to cope with... I would seem to be getting one of my oldest friends back. I'm ... honestly, I'm appalled at how badly I'd underrated him. I like to think that I'm a fairly accurate assessor of people; I've not been this far off the mark in a bit over a year... and before that you'd have to go back almost three.

I... I'm thrilled to have him back. Pissed off at myself for so arrogantly assuming he'd not be able to handle the truth. Relieved that the visit tonight was genuinely -fun- after I got my size 12W mary jane pulled back out of my mouth. :p

And in other news, classed as 'annoying'.... after I managed to stop crying, I grabbed my keys and cigs and headed for the store, intending to get myself something light from the supermarket and pick up some McD's for Megan. I got about three, maybe four miles from the house, I got a LOVELY grey cloud out the back of the Saturn... along with the 'check coolant' lights in the dash. Swung into the lit parking lot I was passing, popped the hood, and was rewarded with another grey cloud... in the face. Coughing and hacking and wheezing followed for a few moments, until I could get in to check: upper radiator hose is blown and throwing coolant across the block. I idled the car home and parked it; I'll have to find some generous soul to run my big behind up to Pep Boys after parts. Nothing ultra horrible, but not exactly the way I'd planned my saturday. :p

Anyway, I'm going to quit babbling now, and go forage for foodlike substances.