As this blog has grown, it occurred to me maybe I should have a cast of characters page for your benefit as well as mine. So, I've re-read every post since inception and hopefully have captured everyone.

Rebel Angel (also RA, Reb) - the author of this literary masterpiece. I've posted various memes telling you about myself but if there's anything, and I do mean anything, you'd like to know, don't be shy ... ask!

Dad - my best friend, my confidante, my champion. Dad passed away in 1996 quite unexpectedly. All these years later, I still miss him and all the support and love he gave me.

Mom - the woman who feeds me, worries about me, wakes me up in the morning and raised six children on an income of less than 25K per year. She's an amazing woman who I stand in awe of. I can't say she's my best friend but she's always there when I need a shoulder to cry on.

Bro1 - the oldest son and my oldest brother (although he is three years younger than me). He's always there when I need just about anything from cash to tide me over until payday or to fix my garage door.

Sis - the only other female child in my family. She's the older half of a set of fraternal twins. We are like oil and water when we get together and I wouldn't exactly call us friends but we're there for each other.

Bro2 - the other half of the fraternal twins. He's always been the black sheep of the family and, I suppose, always will be. He marches to the beat of a different drummer and does his own thing. Of all my family members, he's the only one I can talk to candidly about sex.

SIL2 - Bro2's second wife. She's totally opposite of Bro2 and sometimes I just don't understand how they hooked up.

Nef2a - SIL2's son from a previous relationship. Although Bro2 has not legally adopted him, Bro2 treats him like his own.

Nef2b - Bro2's first biological child. A spunky little kid, I wish I could see him and the rest of the family more often.

Nec2a - The newest addition to the cast.

GR - Bro2's dog. We were raised with dogs so it isn't surprising he has one.

Bro3 - the brother we almost lost. He was 5 months premature and spent the first seven days of his life in an incubator. Today, you'd never know he had a rough start. The quiet brother, the brother who really doesn't interact with the family, he's an enigma in size 12 shoes.

SIL3 - Bro3's wife. She's a bit older than him but an okay gal. Actually, I introduced them and the rest is history.

Nec3a - SIL3's daughter from her previous marriage. She's just entered those awkward teenage years and discovering boys. Unfortunately, since her parents divorce, she's been bounced between the two of them. I have a feeling she doesn't know where she belongs.

Nef3a - the older of the "other" set of fraternal twins. He's quiet and observant and will undoubtedly be the brother who gets in trouble because he'll go along with just about anything his twin does.

Nef3b - the younger of the "other" set of fraternal twins. He's a fearless little demon. Always into something and now chattering like a jaybird. He's inquisitive, mischievous and full of life. He'll be the twin to come up with out of the world ideas and Nef3a will tag along.

Bro4 - the baby of the family, 10 years my junior. Of all my siblings, I'm closest to him but couldn't tell you why. We seem to have a connection of some sort and although I can't be anywhere near as candid with him as Bro2, I've never held anything back from him and I tell him like it is.

ex-SIL4 - she's a strange bird and although this blog is allegedly anonymous I don't want to say too much.

SIL4 (also future SIL) - okay, so they're not married but as sure as I'm sitting here, they'll get hitched eventually. She's my age and used to work with me which is how Bro4 and she met. Personally, I'm not sure the relationship will work for the long-term but no one ever listens to me so I can't worry about it.

Nec4a - ex-SIL4's daughter from a previous relationship. She lives with her mother and, for the most part, an okay kid. I think as she continues to age, she'll eventually come into her own.

Nec4b - my parents' first grandchild. She's a darling and a real girly-girl. However, I have a feeling life for her is confusing at best. After Bro4 and ex-SIL4 divorced, he got "his" children and she took "her" child. When she's with Bro4, she's the oldest but when she visits ex-SIL4, she's the middle child. After being top dog, it's got to be hell being second banana.

Nec4c - the second grandchild. She's going to be a real tomboy which is fine with me. She too has a confusing life, first living with her parents then living with my mom and now living with her dad and future SIL.

Nef4a - my precious nephew who died 66 days after he was born. The official ruling was SIDS but I don't buy it for a minute. He was a preemie who was so small, he slept in a doll cradle and wore Cabbage Patch Kids' clothes. I thank God I have pictures of him but I wish he were here. Trust me when I tell you there is nothing more emotionally devastating than seeing your brother carry his son's tiny casket to the grave. I can't begin to imagine the pain Bro4 must feel on a daily basis.

Grandma/Grandpa - Dad's parents. I spent the first 15 months of my life with them. Grandma will tell you I'm the daughter she never had.

BG (also BGF) - my best "girlfriend". I've know him for almost four years now. BG is the only non-toxic person in my life. He knows me almost instinctively, doesn't put up with my "woe is me" shit and just a really great guy.

BGP - BG's partner of 20 years. I've never officially met him but, after listening to BG rant, I know BG could do so much better.

Angel - my AFF connection - we're building a solid foundation of friendship right now but one never knows where things will go from there.

LP - after 25+ years, my 8th grade crush (and first heartbreak) "found" me. Definitely not the bad boy he once was but still strikes a chord in my heart. I know where I'd like this relationship to go but can't dwell on it for fear of sabotaging it before it gets off the ground.

FB - fuck buddy is a guy I've had sex with a few times. Okay, more than a few times. I was the plaything of him and his now-ex-wife for about six months; actually, the best six months of my life. He's got a beautiful cut cock and loves fucking my ass. His is the only come I've ever swallowed.

MM - in the early 90s, I had an affair with this married man. I knew it was over when, as he fucked me, I was balancing my checkbook in my head. He gave me chlamydia and basically used me at will. I was just a convenient, needy, younger woman swept off her feet when a guy old enough to be her father showed some interest. Quite possibly the biggest mistake of my life.

BND - when I first moved out in 1990, I moved out with the Boy Next Door. He was 19 and I was 25. We'd been screwing each other for almost a year but only lived together for six months. His abandonment is what lead to the affair with MM.

CA - another married man I'd love to fuck just once but never will. He and I used to work together and still get together on occasion. We flirt outrageously and intellectually stimulate each other. He's called me "the best mindfuck I've ever had". Go figure.

GA - the first woman I kissed. Again, someone I used to work with, she showed me the lesbian lifestyle taking me to gay bars, introducing me to single gay women. She opened my eyes to a lot. I still talk to her occasionally but she and her partner have been together forever so I'm quite sure nothing will ever happen between us. Damn!

Steve Drake (also SD) - quite possibly the hottest pornstar on the planet. I want to fuck him and suck him and have him do things to me I've only dreamt of.

Michael Stanley (also MS, MSB, MS&R and MLC) - a local singer/songwriter whose music is the soundtrack of my life. MSB is the first band he headed, MS&R is his current band and MLC is his pet project, a blues band he doesn't head but gets to play other types of music.

Re-reading my journey into blogosphere, I also noticed I use cute little names and abbreviations so here's what they mean:

Black Rock - my place of employment. This is my 19th year there and it's the same shit just a different year.

North Coast - where I reside. The town where my ancestors settled in (God knows why) after arriving in this country.

FBR - a fuck buddy relationship. I obsessed about this phenomenon for a few posts but I'm not currently in such a relationship.

Blog It Forward (also BIF) - when I come across an exceptional blog, I'll try to "feature" it. In the future, I will have a category for all the BIFs.

ttru - the abbreviation for the previous incarnation of this blog. By the way, ::the.truth.remains.unspoken:: is part of a lyric from one of Michael Stanley's song but I won't tell which one.

There you have it. The people and places you'll read about here. Naturally, as I delve deeper into my life and my relationships, I'll update.

updated 12/26/2005