Timing is everything.

Last night was a friend of mine's going away party. She's headed back to the Emerald Isle, as her visa has expired. I'm really sad to see her go. She's a great person, funny, beautiful and sassy. Exactly the kind of person I enjoy having in my life.

Unfortunately, her timing is off. Last night, she asked me if I would marry her so she could stay. I've been asked this before, the first time I said yes, but things got screwed up(more on that in a bit). This time, I told her it was a great idea, but impossible. I'm with Red now, after all, and am trying like hell to not screw that up.

Some folks think that marriage for citizenship is wrong. I don't. I've been asked before, and I have friends who have actually done it. The first time I was asked was about 8 years ago. We were both working for the soulless company that stole my youth, her visa was expiring, I was 24, she was 31 and drop-dead gorgeous. Things seemed to be all go, until one fateful day in late August. I had recently returned from my father's wedding, and proudly displayed a picture of myself, my father, and my step-mother on my desk. She was on a break walked into my office. Immediately, she eyed the picture. "What is that?" she asked me. I informed her of all the people in the picture, and she ruined our relationship with the words "and you don't have a problem with that?"

What you may have already guessed is that my step-mom is African-American, and my soon-to-have-been wife was South African. Myself being a person who tries to not stereotype anyone, was rather unhappy to discover that she reacted so badly. We had never really talked about it, so I guess it was a surprise for both of us, but there was no way in hell she was going to get away with that, no matter how much money I was getting to become her husband. I may not be the most moral person in the world, but I do have certain scruples. Needless to say, everything was called off, and we went our separate ways.

In an unrelated vein, in the challenge I put forth unto my dear readers yesterday, the leading score is 7. Send me your answers!