I'm an abysmally sappy person.

I've known for a long time that I'm an incurable romantic, sentimental almost to the point of nausea. I hang onto nearly everything that has the tiniest bit of sentimental value to me. Letters and cards from family, friends and ex-lovers. Pictures, tons and tons of pictures. Old deflated balloons from past romances. Much of it in boxes in the closets instead of the garage, for easy access. I never know when I'll be assailed by a fuzzy memory which will require immediate focus by a bit of paper in my hands.

I notice, as I grow older, that I'm more liable to tear up at nearly everything, both in sadness and joy. The laughter of children, infants especially. Family hugs. The antics of my cats (when they're not driving me crazy). Scenes in M*A*S*H that I've seen a trillion times before. Even, G-d help me, bits of movies on Lifetime, which I usually try to avoid (disease of the week/women in trouble TV movies are so trite and boring).

I could point to my mother, say that it was from her I inherited my predisposition for tears. As long as my family can remember, Mom's cried while watching the silliest things, whether it be movies of the week or phone commercials. Tear-jerkers were made with my mom in mind. And when our family sat down to watch Little House on the Prairie every week, you can bet we made sure that Mom had easy access to tissues.

I could blame it on my astrological chart. I'm a Taurus (earth sign; clings to the familiar) with my moon (planet of emotions) in Cancer (water sign; very emotionally sensitive) and my Venus (planet of love and relationships) in Pisces (water sign; feels emotions of self and others keenly).

Is it any wonder my bottom lip quivers at the tiniest things?

One way my sapiness manifests itself most is when listening to music. For the most part I hate overly sugary music, but there is a group that has produced two hits which get me every time. The songs are interchangable (as Teresa and I discovered when trying to remember the lyrics of the first hit - we kept coming back to their current hit). As one DJ put it, they're trying to corner the market on wedding songs. But, heaven help me, I love both songs. I have to stop what I'm doing and sing them, no matter what.

Yep, it's Truly Mady Deeply and I Knew I Loved You by Savage Garden.

I especially love I Knew I Loved You. It speaks to the unrequited searching for a soulmate in me so deeply, damn it. I even stopped to sing it in a coffee shop when the video played on the TV in the corner. (Luckily no one else was there and I'm a friend of the owner. He even encouraged me, saying I sounded good. What a nice guy.)

And, much as I dislike Celine Dion, she sings one song that gets me every damn time. (No, it's not from the Big Boat Movie.) It's All Coming Back to Me Now is a big heart tugger for me. Sometimes I weep like a baby when I hear that song. Thanks, Jim Steinman.

I won't go into all the other songs that bring me to my knees. We'd be here forever.

I'm just a big weepy baby.

Now I bring you...

TODAY'S ROB RUMMEL-HUDSON STALKPIC

Rob's entry that I've linked is one of his best. Only a statue could read it wthout crying.

John Scalzi's Whatever Column
OK, I lied. John's first for a reason. He started me on most of these blasted journals, which led me to the others. If you're looking for someone to blame, John's the guy. Darn his enjoyable writing!

The Daily Bleat
James (not Jim, you philistine) is one of them perfeshunale riten' guys, and I can sure see why people pay him to do this stuff. A day without a fresh Bleat is like a day without, well, a fresh Bleat.

Man About Murfreesboro
Mike writes an entertaining journal which veers from baby stuff to politics to particle physics. Frequently in the same entry. Definitely worth a look.

chuck'stake
A fellow Valley resident, Chuck tells of life as a husband/father/struggling screenwriter with a certain wit. Oh, and ask him about the Booth.

Stitches in Time
As Chuck's wife, Beth not only provides another eminently readable viewpoint on family matters, she also talks about her own concerns about life, love and the shark infested waters of the gene pool.

The Diary Thing
Rick is a photographer living in Toronto. He's taken some beautiful photos and his writing, like his photography, is often evocative, sometimes moody, but always interesting.

The Book of Rob
Voted "One of the Two On-line Journalists Carol Would Like To Run Away With If They Weren't So Happily Married and Living in the Midwest" (James is the other), Rob writes a funny and often touching journal about his beloved wife, life as a new daddy and working for a faceless Monolith.

Evaporation
Another Southern Californian, Steve's entries are infrequent (yes, I know, pot, kettle, black) but well worth the wait. Plus Chuck and Beth have been known to turn up (and vice versa).

The Mighty Kymm's Hedgehog Tales
The grande dame of on-line journals, Kymm's Tales are conversational, entertaining, and suck you in the way no one else's can.

squishy
Pamie's part of a Austin comedy troupe and one of the leading on-line journalers. There's no mystery as to why, with her hilarious observations and conversations.

Atropine:saper vedere
Unfortunately, Elizabeth has said goodbye to journaling, at least for now. But both incarnations of Atropine and a previous journal, Scr@wls, are worth digging into the archives.

Bad Hair Days
An attorney in Sacramento who loves gardening, doesn't love attorney-ing, and actually enjoys waking up when most people are dead to the world. Beth's journal is a great read and she has a weblog that pulls together some mighty interesting links. Plus she's fighting with Pamie for the love of Stee. (Why do I hear men chanting "catfight"?)

plaintive wail
Stee may think the chicks dig him due to his funny, edgy entries detailing the life and viewpoints of an actor/screenwriter/Evil Media Conglomerate drone, but it's really left column for whom the ladies swoon.

Naked Eye Journal
Catherine's thought-provoking journal is more than just a journal. It's a one-of-a-kind site that defies pigeon-holing. Visually compelling.