RECAP: Last time we were at the house with the fam, Val died, Gai and Neil moved out of the house to go to college and Alice aged into a teen. So far so good in Tonya’s and Dane’s relationship. And they got puppies!!!! So…


This is what went on in the household during the first year of Uni.

After all these years you would think that I would be tired of that man but I’m so not. I mean, I know he’s not the best looking man in the world but to me…to me he’s everything. I can’t imagine my life without him. Thank goodness he’s as in love with me as I am with him. It’s great being with someone who gets you and stands by you no matter what. We lost a daughter. That’s not something that one gets over easily. And soon after two of our kids left the house to go to college. I say ‘our’ because Neil is as much Dane’s as he is mine. I’ve talked to Gordon a few times since our divorce but I can understand why he really doesn’t want anything to do with me. Can you blame him?

Check out my new ride! That thing is sweet right? Nah, I really don’t think so. I hate small cars like this. All I can think about is getting into a wreck and it just crushing like an accordion.  And I have nothing to prove. I’m not some dude having a mid life crisis and trying to show that my penis is bigger than yours. Seriously! It makes me uncomfortable just getting into that stupid car but as you know my driver will keep beeping until I get into the asinine thing.

Anyways, this isn’t my update. It’s Alice’s turn. That girl is painfully shy when it comes to talking to people outside the family. And she is family. I don’t care what anyone says. And if someone has a problem with that..well they can come see me. You know where I live. I may be from Baldwin Hills but I know how to duke it out. What, what?!! I’m out! I gotta go to work!

“Alice! Alice!”

I could hear mom calling me from outside and I know what she wants. Heck, I could hear the freakin’ photographer clicking away as I washed Leroy.

“Sooo…don’t you have something else to do?” I ask without turning around. I already knew the answer before she replied with a snort.

“Of course you don’t. You’re supposed to follow us around right? Although I never got that. It just…weird.”

“You should be used to it now kid,” she said.

“I know, I know,” I muttered as I scrubbed at Roy’s fur. He groaned underneath of his breath and I smiled. He was a big, old softy and he loved getting a bath. He never gave me any trouble and he never-

“LEROY!!!”

I blinked soap out of my eyes and wiped at the water her had splashed all over me. I ignored the photographer snapping pictures. I mean seriously, was this news worthy? I didn’t think so.  But whatever floats your boat right?

Tugging Roy out of the tub I rubbed him down with a towel before cleaning up the water and cleaning out the tub. MOm would flip if she saw all the hair that was floating around the next time she took a bath.

After that I sat around the house for awhile before I decided to head into town. Maybe to that dance studio that I’ve been meaning to get around to. Everyone’s been egging me to go but just because I like to dance doesn’t mean I like doing it in front of people.

You see, I’m kinda shy. I really don’t like people staring at me and I certainly don’t like a photographer hanging around me. It was different when I was a kid. Doesn’t every kid like to have their pictures taken? But now it’s just freaks me out. I asked Neil and Gai had they deal with it but they don’t seem to understand. They grew up that way. I didn’t. I still remember all the different houses I grew up in when no one seemed to pay me any attention except when the foster care check came in.

I watched as all the other people standing around laughing and talking. They were all older than me and I just felt…awkward.

That is until they started dancing. Glancing over my shoulder I saw the photographer trying to smother her laughter but it bursts out when I rolled my eyes and made a crazy face. It was too funny. I thought, with this being a dance studio, that there would be some sort of, I don’t know, skill involved but apparently I was wrong. Shaking my head I walked out of the room..

“My God! That was…that was-”

I was at lost for words. That was worse than watching my parents dance.