Nerdlings, I apologize in advance. My head is not in the game this weekend. I'm getting a late start, which always kind of throws me, because I simply couldn't think of anything to write about. I still can't, if we're being honest, and The Princess Bride is on, which doesn't bode well for my focus because what kind of romance-ish writer would I be if I could concentrate fully on anything with that movie playing? And I'm a little sickly, as one gets during warm, foggy weather, so I've been taking cold medicine and laying on the couch being sluggish since I woke up. And then a friend that I've known online forever but haven't met seriously just tentatively maybe RSVP'd to my birthday party in Omaha from fucking Spain and I think he's threatening to stay sober.

 

Which is clearly not going to happen. I mean, really, even if this thing does end up happening, there's no way I'm letting any friend of mine come all the way over an ocean just to attend my birthday party and stay sober. That's why we have Mr. J, designated birthday sober person. Besides, my friend is Welsh via Barcelona so he probably wouldn't even stay on the correct side of the road. But I was sure there was going to be some awkward going down even before people started talking about flying halfway around the world to attend this thing and the only thing to do with that kind of situation is to drown it in craft beer and novelty shots. Lots and lots of novelty shots, nerdlings.

 

So, with that being the Lovefool Way, it's no surprise that Danielle Corsetto's Hazel Tellington, star of Girls With Slingshots, is absolutely my spirit animal. (Sound familiar? It should because I told you to read GWS last year but it's gotten so much better that I have to tell you again.) Anyway, Hazel is tagged as “The Lush” on the Girls With Slingshots cast page and has some issues with...well, everything. She's got a bit of a drinking problem, yes, but she's also got a bit of an interpersonal relationships problem and a bit of a not-living-up-to-her-potential problem. I'm fairly confident the only thing that keeps her okay is her best friend, Jamie. Jamie is a good egg who will force Hazel out of her comfort zone but will also steal all of her booze for her own good. Hazel lets Jamie do these things and will occasionally even listen to her advice but she's still kind of adrift, even with the magnificent Jamie's steering.

 

Hazel's also got Zach, this kind-of boyfriend, except they're not dating anymore. They did just get drunk and sleep together (kind of ambiguously) recently-ish and Hazel didn't know what to do with it so she just stumbled out of his apartment still drunk at 7 AM and threw up on her car and called Jamie to come get her, all without leaving a note or running through the car wash. So Jamie has her on Best Friend Watch, which means she can't drink or make bad decisions. Well, she could probably make bad decisions but they're a lot less likely. Unfortunately, we don't really know what's going on with Hazel and Zach because he asked her to lunch and she got eeked out and said that maybe they shouldn't talk for a while and I am dying to know what's going on with that besides Hazel's sulking.

 

But, despite the fact that we're kind of hanging on Hazel and Zach, we're getting a fine storyline in Tucker-the-library-nerd and Fiona-the-regular-nerd's budding romance over Doctor Who and vegetarian wings. It is, admittedly, some delightful comic relief after the angst of Hazel and Zach, especially since Fiona is smokin' hot in a Renaissance kind of way, all curves and jewel tones, and a snuggler and Tucker is freaking out and holding a lot of pillows over his groin. Because the cast of Girls With Slingshots isn't shy, there's a lot of amusing conversation about this because love is frequently sexy and sex can be hilarious.

 

GWS does go out of its way to acknowledge that love isn't always sexy because Jamie's girlfriend, Erin, is asexual, which is okay because Jamie doesn't really like ladybits but she likes Erin and Erin likes her so there they are, figuring out what to do from there. And their relationship is a lot of fun to watch, despite the fact that it doesn't have a lot of the hallmarks of a traditional relationship except, of course, for the fact that they love each other enough to do whatever it takes to make the other one happy, which is the only hallmark of a relationship that really matters. Erin even ends up in a cupcake costume, too, at one point.

 

And if wearing a cupcake costume isn't love, I don't know what is. And I didn't even get to tell you about Jameson and Mo or Clarice the Dominatrix or Hazel's mom but, fortunately, there's over a thousand strips to introduce you. In the meantime, we'll see what happens when Hazel is back off the wagon and if Tucker manages to keep his pants calm long enough to have a successful date with Fiona. I'm hopeful about everything. Including not having to bust out the SkiShot at my birthday party. Consider yourselves warned, friends. | Erin Jameson