So, the next part of my promised embarrassing disclosures probably won't come as a surprise to you. In fact, I even suspect that I'm not alone in this.

This is, however, one of the most difficult perversions to keep hidden, at least for me. There you are, in a nice, touristy manor or castle, surrounded by friends who think "kink" is something you get when you're tense, and pensioners who're looking for the cafe to get their tea.

And suddenly, you get all hot and bothered, your feet seem like they're glued to the floor, and whatever you were about to say is lost in a weak stutter. Because what's in front of you is something that you desperately long for, and in that exact moment, it seems like you simply can't live without it.

That's when you know you've reached the library. At least if by "you", you mean me:).

If you've read A Russian Bear, you might already have guessed this perversion of mine. After all, I did have my hero prove his love for his sub by giving same sub a library. And thinking about that still makes me a little weak in the knees... Getting somebody a library?? That's true love!

I'm not particular, either; it doesn't have to be several stories. I think I'd like it to be white, though. And the ladder is a must!

So, as you might know by now, I seem to be a pretty boring person.

Well, a very boring person with a couple of interesting interests, one of them kink. But hey, there's absolutely nothing wrong with a little bit of healthy exercise. Even if that exercise involves lube, rope, and a flogger, it's still exercise, right? And it really takes quite a lot to make me think "that's really weird" these days. It takes all kinds - and many of them are smoking hot, so you won't hear me complain! Quite the contrary; I'll write a book about it.

But basically, I'm boring; everybody's kinky these days. However, there are a couple of things which I've never admitted before - the really kinky stuff. Things which I could never even tell Mischa. This is one of them *takes deep breath*:

I really like looking at rain. Yep, I said it, it's out there. I know it's really, really weird, but there you go. Mischa would be blushing by now. Downright embarrassing for me.

But there's just something extremely peaceful by being indoors (important detail!) and looking out into the rain. It's kind of zen to me. And the smell! Yep, looking at rain is one of my favorite little perversions.

I'll be revealing more of my twisted secrets the next couple of days - hang tight! It'll be deeply embarrassing and slightly titillating. For me, at least.

Oh, and sorry about the photo! Strictly speaking, it's hail. But it started raining, and then it changed into hail before I got my camera out (springtime is wonderful in my part of the world), and hail is just a lot easier to catch on a photo... Although not as kinky.

This is not fair. I had perfected my grumpiness to a previously unheard of level of, uh, perfection. I had the ideal foundation for a good bout of grump: I was out of work, back in my boring apartment in my boring town where people speak a boring language - and of course, the weather gave me plenty of grumping material. Hell, we had a snowstorm a few weeks ago. In April. Snowstorms in April are not okay.

And then this happens!

Sunshine, mes amis. And not just sunshine (we've had a couple of days with that before, and I almost froze off my nose trying to make the best of it).

No, no, no, not just sunshine, but nice, warm spring weather as well. I even sat out in the garden today for an hour or so, working, and it was downright idyllic. The cherry trees were blossoming, bumble bees were humming around me, and there were little yellow flowers everywhere (I've no idea what they're called).

If I'm not careful, I'll lose my touch, and then Mischa and/or Jeff will transform into happy go lucky characters bursting into song. Maybe they'll sing "Tomorrow" from Annie. Imagine Mischa doing that? The horror. I simply have a literary commitment to find my grump again. And soon. 

At least I'll soon be allergic. Or get sunburned. Maybe it'll rain tonight. One can always hope:).

I'm pleased to announce that - after months of excitement, new languages, and new places - that I'm finally back under my rock.

Well, okay, I'm not exactly pleased about it. As a matter of fact, it's really, really depressing to be back where everybody speaks my language and everything is exactly like it used to be before I left for my grand adventure. When you're travelling, even going to the supermarket is an exciting experience. Back home? Not so much. As a matter of fact, the most exciting feature in my life right now is the fact that I might need a plumber. Or maybe I can fix it myself. I'm breathless with excitement to find out which it'll be.

At least we've had a couple of records since I got home: March was the coldest March in 26 years, and April was the coldest April in about 50 years. Unfortunately, I'm no fan of Arctic temperatures; I want spring, and I want it now!

I also want to get back to writing. I've been so busy looking for a job that it feels like ages since I've spent any decent amount of time writing. I really, really miss it, and luckily, things on the job front seem to be a bit better now. I really hope that it can alleviate some of the stress which keeps me from writing. It's a funny thing; it seems like it's easier to be busy when you're busy. And my brain needs something to do; otherwise it'll keep itself occupied, and I really don't need to be any more neurotic than I am at the moment;).

So, let me hear: Is it spring where you are? Please, I want to hear stories about warm weather and blooming gardens; it'll be almost like being there myself...