I had coffee with Ceej last night, as planned. It was much more comfortable than I was expecting. I'd been worried that we'd dance around each other, but we instead settled almost immediately into laid-back conversational mode. We both asked a lot of questions. I talked too much, but I warned her in advance and she didn't seem to mind. We're planning to do it again.

After coffee I went to Room16, where I caught Czr just in time to rub his neck before he ran back to work. Then I stretched out on the couch next to Jim, burbled at great length about meeting Ceej, and had a marvelous time conversing until I suddenly realised that it was after midnight and ran home. Time goes very fast when I'm around him.

Tonight is gaming, which should be interesting for all sorts of reasons. It's the first time Jim and I have spent in the public eye now that all involved parties have settled where everyone stands. Our behavior has definitely changed. It's unclear if anyone will be able to tell -- Czr seems to think not, but I'm not sure he's a good judge, since he's been watching it all develop.

Ah, well. If everyone decides something's up, that's not a tragedy. It just means various amounts of explaining once people get around to asking. Even if we're not noticeably different tonight, this weekend is Mage (at Room16) on Saturday and Rachel's gingerbread party on Sunday. Eventually someone will become aware of different dynamics and start interrogating. Until then I might as well not worry about it.

(Of course, I've probably upped the chances of being interrogated exponentially by writing about it in here. A girl just can't win.)

Earl and I have an apartment! It's in the same complex, a little closer to the farmer's market (and park) than his current place. It's a 2-bedroom, with 900-something square feet of space in two stories, a back patio, hardwood floors, a dishwasher, and air conditioning. I'm absolutely delighted.

It comes open the 18th, so he's planning to move during the weekend of the 20th. I'll be moving down a few weeks later, in mid-January -- and I've got to start packing.

WARNING: Heavy Rent geeking ahead.

Being the sort of person I am, I've spent some of my spare brain cycles in the last few days working out how the first meeting between Angel and Collins should be played. My initial impression of the scene is that it's terribly rushed, driven much more by the needs of the plot than the motivations of the characters. In two minutes of music we the characters meet, express interest in one another, discover their both HIV positive, and plan to 'make a night' of things. Pretty dense.

Lately, though, I've begun to get a feel for what's actually going on in the scene. For one thing, there's a point in which I think the location switches from the street (where Angel has found Collins, who just got mugged) to wherever Angel is currently sleeping. This is pure theorising on my part, since it's not specified in the libretto, nor was it played that was in the LA production. Making that assumption, though, causes the entire thing to flow much more smoothly. Suddenly Angel's abrupt statement about having AIDS makes sense; he's just invited Collins into his space, and Collins is pretty clearly already infatuated.

So. If I was directing I'd have them play the scene with Angel being forward at first. Then there's the locatin switch, and suddenly Angel starts to realise what he might be getting into -- there's Collins, making serious cow-eyes -- and Angel figures he'd better pull back and explain things. The actual line is:

Angel: 	Yes, this body provides a comfortable home 
	For the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

I used to think that was just a cheap rhyme, but it's not. Angel knows he's gorgeous, and he knows that's why Collins is making cow-eyes. So he has to pull out of the situation and let Collins know that all isn't as it appears -- and then Collins turns the tables, admitting casually that he also has AIDS, and Angel (realising its safe) takes off the brakes:

ANGEL:	We'll get along fine.
	Get you a coat, have a bite,
	Make a night -- I'm flush.

I think that's a good interpretation. I'll have to ask Jim and see what he thinks.

Yes, I really do think about these things. All the time.