How appropriate that I'd get such a fortune from a stale fortune cookie. I, in my own flat stagnation, have offered similar advice. So easily I'm able to see clear through to the marrow of others' problems. And yet, mine are abstruse as ever to me.

Too, I've been keeping this diary some 10 weeks now, and all the while dancing a silly, awkwardly posed and heavily made-up dance. People pleasing, editing, censoring, restricting. I'm really very tired of maintaining this face of who you want me to be. No mention of the self-loathing I've cultivated while doing it.

So, that's it. I say: My dance card's full and my feet hurt. I'll have no more of this, and we'll see how well I stick to my new contract. Perhaps I'll do just fine, thankyouverymuch. Anything's got to be better than all this scurrying about, frantically trying to discern just who it is I'm supposed to be now. Surely.

If I'm depressing, so be it. If my diary's prosaic, deal with it or don't. If you find me pedantic or pedestrian, tiresome or witless, find some other girl. Yes, that does sound acerbic. And I'm leaving it without further justification.

More changes: 1 June should bring a new entry layout. I've been putzing, again, yes. The site itself'll remain as-is; I'm just screwing with the entries. I'm bored with the green alien spinal column looking thing, anyway. I've been inspired by some columnar text designs, and want to give that a whirl. We'll see.

Bride of More Changes: I really like the Often Ring logo. Really. I want to kidnap it and buy it ice cream and love it and hug it and call it ‘George.' So, in addendum to my new contract with myself, I am going to write more...Often (well, duh, you didn't see that one coming, did you?). It'll take me some months to attain a 20-per-month entry average, true. And I may never reach that, may never be among the Often Ring'ers. I guess that's okay. I'll try not to steal the wee logo, either way.

Speaking of new web rings...Golly gee, Mabel, they're sproutin' up all over the damn place, ain't they? Now, yeah, I think it's great that the Open Pages members are trying to be considerate of new surfers, and trying to subcategorise themselves. 150 journals on a ring is quite a lot, yes! But, I think the discussion of rings has gotten a bit...crazy. A bit overboard. I'm imagining waking up tomorrow to find 50 newly created diary rings, and that would be...just as confusing as it is now, but in the other extreme.

I did like the idea of having subcategories that aren't, themselves, rings, though. And having those subcategories -- "GenX'ers," "Parents that Write," "Daily Updated Diaries," "Australian Journalers," etc. -- listed on the Open Pages Suburbs index. I would like to have a plot of OP Surburbia to call my own, maintain a subcategory of diaries. Not sure just how to go about it. Another of those "Someday I will..." things.