That's right, 69 love stories, why 69? Cuz I'm immature, I do watch cartoons after all. Also because of 69 Love Songs, a great album. (Check it out if you have the chance) 69 love stories! A different pairing each time! Granted, some pairings might repeat, but I will try to be varied. Without further ado, here is what I hope to br the first out of many chapter.

THE STARS

People in the past looked up at the stars didn't they? Before tv, before internet, they would spend the whole night looking up at the stars. Connecting dots to make up stories and entertain their friends. There's Wattersoncus! Slayer of Evil! And look! The Dreadful HydroSimian, the Twelve-Headed Ape!

I don't get it.

I've been looking up at the stars for a couple of minutes and I don't see how anyone could enjoy it. I'm connecting the dots here too, but I look away for just a moment and the snake I was working on is gone forever, gone in a whole mess of stars. How do they keep track of all the stuff they made, how can they tell stars apart? They're all the same.

Penny doesn't seem to be having a problem. She's looking up at the stars and she's focused. Piercing them with her intense eyes and then she moves onto the next one. I guess she has it figured out.

"Hey," I said to her. I prop my head on one hand to look at her. "What do you see?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you seeing anything? Up there? I'm not." I go back to lying down on the grass. "Just stars stars stars. Is that what you're seeing?"

"Well, not exactly." Said Penny. "You see, I like to imagine there are other people up there. People just like us living their lives. I like to imagine what it's like for them up there."

"What do you mean?"

"Well…" Penny points to one star in particular. "Take that star over there. There's an old couple and they live on a small island all by themselves. Rocking back and forth in their rocking chairs all day."

"Huh."

"And that star, the one with a face. There's a kindergarten teacher teaching a hundred kids. She's losing all her hair but all the kids are growing up to be doctors and lawyers and teachers too.

One star a kid celebrates his birthday with friends and family, another star, the football team breaks their losing streaks and they bring out the fireworks, another star someone built a rocket and they're going to visit us one day."

I never knew how imaginative Penny could be. Thinking so much. I should try thinking more often, Penny seems to enjoy it.

"How about that one?" I point up to a reddish star.

Penny looks up at the star; she looks at it intently before giving an answer.

"A baby was just born. He's crying but it's happy. His mom is there, his dad is there. They're happy too. "

Penny is quiet; she's probably pausing for dramatic effect or something like that. I don't say anything and wait till she talks again.

"You know," Continued Penny. "I also like to think that on one of these stars they're watching us and they're telling somebody our story."

"Our story?"

"Yeah, our story. There's the young couple they'd say. Looking back at us. It just feels so exciting; a million worlds, millions of people and experiences, it just feels so big and incredible, thinking about it all!"

There was another lull in the conversation. I don't know what to say so I wait for Penny to say something again. She doesn't and I'm back to lying out here in my backyard looking up at the stars.

I look at the star directly above me and try to imagine what's going on up there.

All I can imagine is them looking at us. An unbroken chain of lovers looking at lovers looking at lovers looking at lovers looking at lovers…

I'm just gonna look at Penny until we go inside. Yeah.

Maybe this is the whole point of star gazing?

Join us next time when the pairing will be involving Jamie. Jamie and who? You;ll just have to wait!