"They can't help it...they're special."

"I know. But I don't have to look at it, do I? Thank God they have their own planet!"

From a little upthread: Thanks Beverly! I rescued Gershwin when she was a very tiny stray kitten, when I was a kid. Earlier this year, she went to go live with a very nice family who feeds her tuna fish all day long. I fully support her decision. She was a very good cat.

Anne, lots of ~ma to you- I hope that the scary doesn't overwhelm the exciting, and that this process can be fun for you, despite any moving stress.

{{{{Anne}}}} Yes to the "don't panic" and "don't worry" reaction. I think your plan to pre-relocate kitty sounds sound. Best of luck to you. I have to stop typing, because everything I start to write to you starts to work itself into the Mary Tyler Moore show theme song.

You're gonna make it, after all!

(I always wanted to do that thing with the hat.)

{{{{Cindy}}}} sorry you didn't get to see Cat. I hope your neck is better though.

Thanks, Cashmere. Actually, the neck still sucks. I'm going to have to sleep with the collar on, which is no fun. The worse it feels, the more sure I am that I made the right (but stinky) decision about not going into Boston, though. I would have been a miserable, whiny bitch. It hurt me to pour milk, and get the syrup out of the cupboard, for the kids.

{{Cindy}} Neck~ma. It can take me 3-4 days to recover from a pinched neck, I hope you don't take that long.

Cindy, my neck sistah! I woke up with a pinched neck this morning. Gah.

we're up for just about anything as long as it isn't touristy crap (no desire to go up in the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building, for example)

Huh. I loved going up in the Empire State Bldg. -- at night is really breathtaking, and it's a gorgeous Art Deco building -- and the Statue of Liberty was impressive to me as well.

I guess I can't recommend non-touristy crap.

National Geographic channel is showing a special where they let the "Moon landing was a fake" nuts blather on, then tear apart the conspiracy "proof."

Basically these people are incredibly dense. We knew this, of course, but damn.

t boggle

things to do in NYC - I loved going up to the top of the Empire State the one time I did it - but the wait to get there was murder. Never have been to the Statue of Liberty.

I have been parasailing over the Hudson and on a helicopter ride around the city. I recommend both.

Dan -- That sounds interesting, too bad Dad and bro are watching football. I wonder if they'll rerun it. I wonder if I get that channel.

I probably will too Sail, but here's hoping.

When Scott and I were first married, I got in a car accident--hit from behind. I had classic whiplash, but never went after the other driver because I felt bad for the kid who hit my car. The traffic was shitty, and were were on a very stop-and-go stretch of road, right outside of Boston. I got the cervical collar then, because it was that bad. I've had a little trouble with it off and on, sense. Usually, it's because I do something (or have my bra shoulder straps too tight, or $15 of change in my shoulder bag, or something).

Years ago, Julia was terribly sad, because Daddy and Ben went camping with the cousins and she was stuck (!!!) at Nana's beach house with Nana, Chris (who was a baby) and me. Little did we know, she was also getting really sick, which accounted for about 1/2 of the heartbreak. Anyhow, in an effort to cheer her up, I was pretending she was my hat. I would pick her up, over my head, and say, "Oh, look at my hat. I have the prettiest hat in the world. Have you ever seen a prettier hat?"

The next day, I couldn't move, and the pain was excruciating. The doctor thinks I sprained it, and I know I have a pinched nerve, because of some of the symptoms, from time to time. This time, it started bothering me Christmas morning, but it's been really mild, and seemed to be working itself out. Last night, I fell asleep on the couch, and this morning? Agony.