umbrellaxscenexcore

* Walks up to her in plain sight and hands her a business card which says, "You have just been sneaked up on." *

Perhaps, in fact, I could make an appointment to sneak up on you. That would be the most efficient approach.

Okay, the next time I plan to sneak up on you, I'll warn you in advance. There is precedent for this. In the 19th-century comical opera "The Pirates of Penzance," the pirates of the title wanted to "sneak up on" someone, so they came on bellowing a tremendously loud song ABOUT sneaking up.

I was actually IN a production of "The Pirates of Penzance" about 25 years ago, as a chorus pirate. It was outrageous fun.

* Sneaks up again, to deliver his famous non-swat: holding one open hand near her, then slapping this hand loudly with his other hand, thus producing a sound like spanking without having actually touched her at all. Runs off laughing. *

About photography: one of the many Christian novels I used to read aloud to Jan was a story of a photographer living about 90 years ago, trying to get photography accepted as a serious art. For myself, my Mary's influence had much to do with my becoming a good photographer.

Answer: yes! Of everything you named, I probably like abstract art the least, but I do like some abstract pieces.

He stalks his victim...knowing exactly what he intends to do when he finds her...filled with gloating anticipation of the ambush...

Then he sees her! Moving in silently from behind, he waits till he is within ten meters of her before purposely letting her hear his running steps...

She turns, recognizing him in a fateful flash, seeing his outstretched arms...and then he screeches to a halt, dropping his arms with a cry of "Ha ha, faked you out!" And he runs away laughing _without_ having hugged her.

Beware: even with my arthritis, I am one fierce hugger! I remind myself of a joke from an old comedy movie, when a man is embracing a woman:

She says, "Hold me closer!"
He answers, "If I hold you any closer, I'll be behind you!"

Well, if you go hugging back when I hug you, I'll just have to hug YOU even MORE warmly and tenderly!

*Springs upon her from ambush with a G-rated hug*

LOL*squee*

One thing you might do early is to study the history links I am sending to you, relating to the Soviet Union.

That's okay, you see that I saw it and reacted. (-:

Depending on what you have to do with the Revolution subject, it's worth knowing that the lands now known as "former Soviet republics" were in a shifting situation during the few years _right_ after the Bolshevik takeover. For instance, Armenia made an unsuccessful attempt to conquer "Georgia" (more properly called Gruziya, _not_ the state of Georgia in America).

*Makes note never to get hair cut so short it can't be mussed*

Ah, then the bear hugs will have to be RUSSIAN-bear hugs.

*Hugs her back, twice as hard*

I guess you _wouldn't_ know about Emmett and Queenie.

Emmett and his kid brother Jake are 19th-century gunslingers who, in my no-rules Monologues roleplay, were transported to modern times, where they started a cowboy-style restaurant and befriended the character who is "me."

Discovering another dimensional gateway, the brothers were able to visit the world of "Alice in Wonderland." There, Vanessa had brought in the classic fairytale character, the Snow Queen--who might have been C.S. Lewis' inspiration for Jadis. The brothers opposed the Snow Queen's evil schemes in Wonderland; but I let Vanessa know that I was willing to agree that she could capture them, in the hope that I would then get a chance to have Emmett try to persuade her to give up evil.

Vanessa, however, chose that moment to fall victim to the small mental disorder which infects almost _every_ female who does online roleplaying: the Let's-Humiliate-Every-Male-For-No-Particular-Reason Syndrome. Instead of letting me have Emmett reason with the Snow Queen as she _knew_ I wanted to do, she decided to say that the Snow Queen beat up Emmett and Jake with her magic, giving them no chance to talk or do anything. Then, to grind the insult in still further, she wrote that a little old lady was able to save the two brothers when _they_ were helpless to do anything.

_After_ the damage was done, Vanessa seemed to recover from the male-bashing syndrome as quickly as she had fallen into it. Now she wanted to make amends to me for having ruined everything; so she did not oppose my saying that Aslan Himself repaid the Snow Queen's cruelty by taking away her powers and putting the fear of death into her.

I was figuring that worthwhile interaction between Emmett and the Snow Queen still was lost beyond recovery; but Vanessa was so determined now to make it up to me, that she said the now-depowered Snow Queen came to "the Monologues dimension" to make an all-out effort to gain not only Emmett's forgiveness but even his love. Since "Queenie," as she came to be called, was really sorry for what she had done, I had Aslan tell Emmett that she should be given another chance. So Emmett allowed Queenie to visit him, led her to a fully-informed decision to serve Jesus/Aslan, and at Aslan's urging went ahead and proposed marriage to her. Queenie said YES to that proposal at supersonic speed; and so here they are, shortly to be married. This, of course, does not reflect _any_ feelings toward the real me on the part of the real Vanessa; but I think it makes a good story.

The wedding of the cowboy and the ex-witch will be a lively affair. Try not to shocked or horrified at any twists of plot.

She has been known to do that on some occasions--as I also did for Mary more than once; but she can't do it in the rehab center, because Dad has a roommate. Anyway, Dad has watchful caregivers for the late-night hours.

By the way, I appreciate your kindly interest. I pat your head--hmm, where _did_ I pick up that habit?

No, it will be two weeks or even more before Dad is functional enough to be allowed to go home.