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Last Tuesday evening, Jansen and I took a stroll through Uptown, awaiting to hear whether or not our big city improv training impressed the brains behind Six Ring Circus. The conversation turned to Hippie Girlfriend.

Jansen officially gave her seal of approval, and as much as she was shocked that someone this cool was dating me, she was even more surprised that I was dating her. I agreed that it was the unlikeliest of matches, but we had something that worked. More than that, I confessed that Hippie Girlfriend was hands down, the coolest and best relationship I've ever been apart of.

I wasn't aware of it at the time, but I guess due to the position of the sun, I was casting four shadows on the street below.

Thursday morning is when I got the text that said, "I have a lot on my mind, can we get a drink after you're done with work?" which is text message for "We need to talk" which is girl for "You need to stop calling."

Hippie Girlfriend is now just a hippie. (That's a term of affection, she's really not a hippie...or my girlfriend anymore for that matter)

I won't get into any detail except to say that it was sudden and unexpected, like one of those car crashes that happens three or four times every season of Lost.

I wish I could tell that there's no hard feelings between the two of us, but if I'm being honest, there are. Again, using the car accident metaphor, things are hurt, broken, smashed in, and need to be repainted. Not to mention that my eyebrows are going to start growing together again. There will come a day when there'll be no hard feelings, but that day is not Monday.

Silver linings include the finest hour my improv group 7:22 has ever seen. Partly because I told them that last week's set was so bad, Hippie Girlfriend left me. Mostly however, due to the fact that for the first time our group had been together, we were all on the same page, paragraph and word with what needed to happen. In fact, in creating our faux-sitcom scenarios, we (By which I mean, me) accidentally created a real one.

Due to the break-up, and the knowledge that my dad whisked away to the Bahama's to marry a woman with a tramp stamp, I actively made a choice not to have an angry character. I was angry enough already, so I used that energy to create someone positive, likable, and apparently Australian.

It was some of the most fun I've had improvising. The last set I was that proud of took place the night after the Joshtober-Fest that ruined my life. Katie suggested that perhaps I should have a horrible week before every set, to which I replied, "I kinda' already do."

After the set, I decided to buy a beer for everyone in the cast as we went over notes. I purchased four beers, and turned around to see Amanda, my High school, ummm, I want to say crush, but obsession is probably more accurate, and how the courts would describe it.

We hugged. She praised. I pretended I didn't agree with the praise, but secretly I thought she was underselling us. She asked if my mom was at the show. She wasn't.

"What about your girlfriend? I want to meet her!"

"Yeah, we, uh, broke up this weekend."

"Oh, no," she said as looked down and saw me clutching four beers in my two hands. "Not taking it well?"

"These are for the team! We're celebrating!"

She believed that....I think.

See, look at that, getting right back on that awkward horse already.

Sigh...