Whenever I introduce myself to someone I always use my full name becuase that's what I like to be called. Shortening it without asking is a definite faux pas.

Me too, and it seems like half the people who call in to our office immediately shorten it. Grrr.

Something that both sets of our recently-sprogged friends did to cover the daycare gap was hire actor-type friends who didn't have day gigs at the time to be nannies. From all accounts, it worked fantastically. Z was most envious of the nannies.

sj, that wasn't annoying at all! He brought you a teacup!

{{{vw}}} I promise to never call you Val, until I receive permission. vee-dub, on the other hand, is a distinct possibility. Speaking of toasts, here's to finding a therapist with whom you can have a long, happy and beneficial relationship.

{{{-t}}} I've got fingers and toes crossed for you. Though it's your fault if my cow-orkers look at me askance for walking funny.

Betsy, I'm so sorry about your friend's situation. Here's hoping....

{{{vw}}} I promise to never call you Val, until I receive permission. vee-dub, on the other hand, is a distinct possibility. Speaking of toasts, here's to finding a threrapist with whom you can have a long, happy and beneficial relationship.

Oh, you all can call me Val. You're friends. It's totally cool. I just hate it when strangers cut it down. And thank you for the therapist wishes. I'm still hoping that we'll convince BCBS to let me stay with the current therapist, but if not, at least I've got some time.

sj, that wasn't annoying at all! He brought you a teacup!

Well, I mentioned the annoying part because I am seriously trying to restrain myself from, "my new guy likes carrots", which I could fall into very easily.

And here's to me, that I may eliminate extra "r's" from my diet in the new year.

Back to edit my previous post....again.

The sun's out for the first time in two days. Go, Team Ice Melting! There were no collisional excitements this morning, praise be, but the bus drivers have tense folks these past few days.

But blondes do not gray well. It's this weird, yellowed-with-age, gray thing.

Aiiiiiiieeeeeee!!! Please don't tell me that! I had counted on going white.

As others have said, it depends. Blondes often, but not always, have a yellowish-gray.

My hair used to be blonde. It looks okay gray.

Case in point. Hec's hair is beautiful. I would let my hair go that color. Unfortunately, the last time I checked (which, I'll admit, was at least 5 years ago), my hair was not a pretty gray.

{{Betsy}} So sorry to hear about your friend. I hope they track him down soon and he is fine.

Murder is therapeutic.

Just needed to be restated.

He brought me a teacup last night for a second date because he noticed that I collected them when he was in my apartment for our first date.

Definitely a keeper. A guy who notices things is rarer than rubies.

Here's hoping that Betsy's friend is fine and just caught up in the confusion. Good luck to you, -t. At first I wrote passing~ma, but it sounded too much like I was wishing you the ability to be something you're not. And at least the eight transitional visits are something, vw. I hope with the next therapist you get off of therapist roulette for a good long while.

I've become increasingly irritated at people in doctors' offices and the like who don't at least attempt my last name. I know it's a difficult name, people, but take a close look at me. Do I look like I want to be your friend?

I have a huge amount of work to do, plus I still haven't de-decorated, as a friend's daughter puts it. Am I doing any of it? Noooo.

Maria, I will write a note if it will help.

You haven't gotten annoying yet, sj.

A guy who works down the hall and comes into my office for coffee was calling me "Tam" for a couple of weeks, and then thought to ask me if I minded that, and I told him it wasn't my preference but I wasn't gonna jump down his throat about it. He said he'd stop. He hasn't.

I mistyped the same letter 3 time in this post. In the same place. Mistype, notice wrong letter, backspace, type the same wrong letter again, lather rinse repeat. And if I drink any more coffee time may stop for everyone else. SIgh.