Evening, all. Goddamn, it's cold here. I got Little Rock, Sheboygan and Charleston.

Um, no.

I spent 5 hours sitting on my ass in a boring student teaching orientation, In which I learned that my FBI check is 7 MONTHS BACKED UP.

I don't know know whether to be glad, because they're doing more important things that my fingerprints, or scared by the lack of efficiency.

So, should I splurge on cheap Chinese delivery? Otherwise it's (a) out into the cold or (b) frozen burritos. Again.

Awrgh. I am actually getting gut-crampy with sympathy and worry for the Guds. Depression is such a massive stressor in any relationship, and in a marriage with two small children to care for it's got to be crushing, but it would just be cruel and awful for it to crush the life you two have made together. I'm vibing and praying for you both.

Also being anxious about the longtime friend Hec mentioned isn't helping. He and Hec check in with each other every few weeks; Hec holes himself up in the bedroom with the phone and a glass of wine and talks for an hour, while I brood in the living room and root through the fridge while looking at all the pictures of their four children and seething with the desire to find someone to blame for all this hurt just so I can slap them silly.

Find Your Spot completely neglected the Bay Area but it did put New Orleans in my top five, and I'm fine with that.

Jessica's new haircut is flippy and fab.

(((P-C))) And what Susan and vw said about shitty first drafts. You got something out of your brain and onto paper, and that is no small achievement. And you will, truly, be able to take that shitty first draft and reshape it into something that meets your standards. But ((())) anyway, because the scaredness and the sense of your future in free-fall are no fun at all.

And ION, I have started eating Emmett's leftovers. Mostly because he is a very picky eater and has gotten less and less interested in food over the past few months, and "leftovers" can be things like a bowl of Annie's mac-n-cheese made with whole milk and a heap of Parmesan microplaned all over it, with only two bites missing, or a French Provençal crepe with Nutella and chantilly cream that's been nibbled at around the edges. Food that it just seems rude to leave lying around uneaten and getting cold. I'm just don't have it in me to be that heartless.

No time to be sick!

No-sick-ma, vw!

Sheboygan? Really?

Choose Chinese, Erin. Going out = bad. Except here today, because we have a pocket thermal going on. It leaves tonight, and I'll miss it.

Sheboygan. Which, it strikes me now, is a very ambisexual place name.

Yeah, I'm picking up the phone for Chinese now. Spicy curry chicken, egg rolls and crab rangoon. Yum.

And ION, I have started eating Emmett's leftovers. Mostly because he is a very picky eater and has gotten less and less interested in food over the past few months, and "leftovers" can be things like a bowl of Annie's mac-n-cheese made with whole milk and a heap of Parmesan microplaned all over it, with only two bites missing, or a French Provençal crepe with Nutella and chantilly cream that's been nibbled at around the edges. Food that it just seems rude to leave lying around uneaten and getting cold. I'm just don't have it in me to be that heartless.

I'd be doing the same thing in your position. And I do hope it's just a phase Emmett's going through.

And {{Gud}}. What JZ said.

My spots include Hartford, CT, Baltimore, MD, New Haven, CT and Providence, RI. Huh--all pretty much places DH could get a job in a heart beat. Weird.

{{{Gud}}} I didn't say so before because I feel so lame and helpless to offer any advice but you have all my support and good thoughts. I hope you can get through this rough patch quickly.

I read an article in a Parents' mag about women trying to lose weight--when they calculated the extra calories they were getting from finishing off their kids' plates they were shocked. I'm determined to avoid this but I also feel bad about throwing food away.

Chantilly creme? Man, I'd be bopping Emmett over the head an stuffing him in a closet to eat his share.

Damn, now I want beignets and CC.

ERIN!!!! Hiya. How've you been?

Jessica's new haircut is flippy and fab.

Okay, I need a link to pictures of Jess' new haircut, STAT!

Going out = bad. Except here today, because we have a pocket thermal going on. It leaves tonight, and I'll miss it.

Give back the warmth! It's been cold here! I mean, not Toronto cold, or anywhere-east-of-Vancouver-cold, really, but still. It has been in the minuses for over a week! Down to -8 at night! It snowed, and the snow stayed on the ground! There is still some out there! Come on, it is freakin' January, I should be able to post taunty pictures of trees in blossom at the end January!

Um, hi again everyone. Just popping in from lurkerville to say that Vancouver is having "cold" weather, and we are spoiled and don't like it.

Minor skippage to say "Nope, haven't been to Pylea. Just transit hell." Man, everytime I go out alone, it's like the invasion of Normandy. Without bodies.(I'm not really disappointed.) Working for civil liberties rules, though.(There are some major rich lefties in this town.) P-C, would love to tell you it gets better but I'm older and only about a half-step ahead of you.I am happy that my Fake Hometown would be a good place for you, and I really must visit because I suspect it's creepy, knowing so much about a city you've never seen, for real. Yay for sj's and vw's good news. Sorry to hear about Gud's bad news. I'll keep a good thought for you.