I have some really exciting news. First of all, I called my other mom and dad to say hi (Anne B). I tried the house in W. Springfield first and got no answer, so I called LaRagione’s and got her there. She has quite a cold but told me she got half a letter started to me and mentioned something about sending pictures which would be wonderful. I’d love to have pictures. Then Tom can see what they look like. Some of her relatives who help out there and work there, too, remember me, cuz she said Pauline wanted to know if I still played the guitar. I believe Pauline is Ma’s cousin.

She asked if I was coming in ever and I told her I had no plans to, but if I ever did, could I call about us getting together? She said she’d expect me to. Cool. And Tom said, of course, we can meet with them. She says their friends in Tucson are on their case about coming out to visit them, so I told her I hope they succeed, so we can see them too.

Now, here’s my awesome news! Well, I got to wondering about how Jessie’s doing these days and Steve and Jai and I still wonder who the hell Robin really was at times. Remember Shelly? I know I mentioned her before. She was at Dotty H’s with me in Springfield when we were both 16. She really looked out for me and protected me from Dotty and Valerie. I never could find her to thank her for this, but I still wonder whatever came of her.

I check once or twice a year and there’s never a listing for Paula, but when I last checked, I was like, holy shit! There was a listing in W. Springfield! So, I called the number, and her youngest of two sons, Justin, answered (I guess Robert would now be around 7 and Paula’s probably around 29). 

Then a guy took over the phone who sounded Puerto Rican, but also ditzy and perfect for Paula. She wasn’t home, he said, and he also said he’s known her for 4 years. I don’t know if he lives there, but I think he does. I don’t know if he’s the father of Justin, or what, or how serious they are. Paula doesn’t usually get serious and she doesn’t play around either. At the same time, though, I’m sure she’d love a guy around to use for help with the kids, money, and sex, and who knows if she’s ever experimented with women. According to the guy, she was out getting toys for the kids and isn’t working still.

I told the guy to tell her she can call collect if she wants and he said she usually calls in when she’s out and that he’ll pass the message along. So, so far, we’ve been playing phone tag and haven’t managed to talk yet. When I called there to check and see if she was in yet, he said she had called him and she then turned right around to try to call me. Cool! She didn’t even wait till she got back home. The thing about it was that I was listening to music when she tried to call and you can’t leave messages on machines when you make a collect call. I’m sure she tried calling from a payphone. I told the guy to tell her that I’m married, so if she called directly, got the machine, which has Tom’s voice on it, to know she didn’t dial wrong (they now have voicemail there, too).

So, the last time I talked to the guy, I was exhausted. I thanked him for being so patient with me and being such a good messenger, but that I’d have to try again tomorrow (today). If Tom got any calls from her last night, I don’t know. I’ll have to wait till he gets up to find that out.

I’m still so psyched that I finally found her. I never did get to say goodbye and she was such a nice person. She really looked out for me, kept me company and she never hurt me in any way. She never asked to constantly borrow things, either, like I initially thought she would. All she wanted, like I did, was someone to talk to.

Well, since she has a phone, I guess she’s doing better these days and I hope she is and that her relationship is a happy one. It’s been 6 years. We’ve got lots of catching up to do and we’ll see if she’s the same old flaky, spacey Paula or if she’s grown or changed in any way.

I’m sure Paula was shocked to hear that I was trying to get a hold of her. I’m sure that “Jodi” and “the Harley Hotel” and “Locust Street” rings a bell in her head, but “Arizona” and “husband” are gonna shock her. She may think, is this a joke?

Got a message from Marla too, but first, two nights in a row I got instant messages from two different people. One said, “Hi,” and the other said, “Good Evening.” I never bothered to respond, though, cuz that just isn’t my thing anymore and I just figured that they were just your late-night perverts.

Marla didn’t have much more to say. Just that she agrees with us that last August was probably a miscarriage (I don’t think that any egg of mine that could get fertilized will ever hook to the womb and stay that way. I think my body will always reject any fertilized egg).

She also said she didn’t mean to scare me with the story of the baby kicking through its mom’s womb and that she isn’t trying to be a know-it-all. I told her I knew this but hey, she is smart in many ways.

She says that spotting during pregnancy is usually a one-time thing and that it usually occurs for a day or two.

Then she mentioned a Mary L, and a Rosalie and Lenny who were somehow associated with our parents and Charlotte and Jim.

Andy just called and I asked him who the hell Mary L is and he says that’s his friend Mary back in MA. Oh. I’d always only known her as just Mary. I didn’t know her last name.

Also, Andy says that Rosalie and Lenny were a couple that was friends with our parents, Char and Jim, and others till Ma decided to ban them from their little clique and everyone, still unable to break free of Ma’s power and influence, went along with it.