Oh, Cindy, my sister in the "community of miserability", which carries a minimum whining threshold as an acceptance condition! Let's sit (with a tiny ocean apart) together, wave our fists keyboards at the cruelty of the world, and shed bitter tears about our lack of any light at the end of the long, dark, cold and slippery tunnel of troubles the universe keeps throwing at our doorsteps, without giving us tools to stand guard in front of them.

[Edit: totally an x-post with Alibelle. Night, Ali!]

Um, I mean, I'm sorry that you're not feeling well, and hope none of your family members catches anything from you.

Nilly, I meant to say before, you did a good job of cyber-mothering Alibelle.

I caught this from Chris, who caught it from Julia. I am hoping it is only a cold. Julia and Chris are the only people in the family who could get a flu shot this year, and the flu has been going around Julia's classroom. Since they had the flu shot, if they caught anything it might only manifest as a cold. But I can't complain, as apparently even the Pope couldn't get a flu shot.

Wait, I can complain! Oh, goodie! I'm sure this will make me eligible for high position in our whiners' corner. We should have snacks! There are still a couple of months until Passover, right?

I think I might go to sleep, since I inexplicably kept myself up all night last night, for no reason in particular, and if I stay up much longer I'm going to start to get hungry, and then I'll never sleep ever again.

Goodnight, Alibelle. I woke at 4:15 my time, and there was a point to make about me waking up in my time zone around the same time you'll probably fall asleep in your own, but I've been drinking coffee for 2.5 hours, yet still can't remember it.

vw, how goes it?

There are still a couple of months until Passover, right?

There was supposed to be only a little over a month until Passover, if it were a regular year. But it's not - it's what is called a "pregnant" year, which means it has 13 months (the lunar calendar equivalent of the 29th of February). The month before Pesakh (the month that has purim) is being doubled. It's like you have "March A" and "March B", with Purim on the B month. This is done in ordr to make sure that Pesakh will always take place on the spring (and because lunar years have fewer days than solar ones).

Oh, and I reserve the right to whine and moan and complain about Pesakh, as it is my least favorite holiday of the year. The whiney corner can have any snacks it wants! And whine about them, at the same time. At least until there's a way to actually both eat the snack and keep it, too (and not limit it to cakes alone, because there should be no advantage to them, no matter how good they may be).

Oh my goodness. Why am I still so awake (and wired from my dance class)? I didn't sleep last night. Class ended six hours ago. I should be very, very, very asleep.

Instead I watched "Shall We Dance?" and then bought the soundtrack, which I'm totally loving, big time.

Hmm. Those last two probably didn't help kill the dance high, did they?

Actually, I just really want to be in the whiny corner, too. It's where all the cool people are.

vw, how goes it?

Back awake. Must walk dog. Must find coffe.

Alibelle, I've done that spin around on the floor move! It's so fun!

Is that the Japanese "Shall We Dance" or the Richard Gere? Or possibly I have the title wrong.

I am WIRED. And I haven't had any caffeine in the last ten hours. I freely give up all my bouncy alertness. I will share, happily. You guys don't need coffee, really. I swear it. I have the good stuff. No, really. You'll like it.

Please take the wiredness off my hands, so that I may sleep.

Ali, I'll repeat my recommendation of hot chocolate. It's good both if you want to go back to sleep and if you want to stay awake. [Edit: I'll gladly trade it for bouncy alertness, for the record]

vw, I love your tagline:

Poetry can take something strange and make it familiar; it can also take something familiar and make it strange.

(Also, it's true about science, as well, which makes it even prettier).

Alibelle, I've done that spin around on the floor move! It's so fun!

It so is! And it goes by so quickly you don't even get a second to think about what might have been on the floor, until long after the move has been completed.

Is that the Japanese "Shall We Dance" or the Richard Gere? Or possibly I have the title wrong.

It was the Richard Gere one, which was based on the Japanese one, of the same title. Actually, I think I liked this version better than the Japanese one. The Japanese one made me more uncomfortable about what the dynamic was doing to the guy's marriage, from what I remember, and I had a really hard time enjoying it. Also, I think the Japanese guy was more of a "loser." And that was difficult to watch, too. RG is very much the average guy, here. But it's been awhile since I saw the Japanese version. However, the RG version has Stanley Tucci! Who is awesome! And Bobby Cannavale (sp?) who's so funny! And Nick Cannon! And Susan Sarandon is great. And there is lots of wonderful dancing, and some very nice cinematography, and direction. It's quite nicely paced, too. And the soundtrack totally rocks.

Oh, poor Alibelle! Maybe try a cup of herbal tea? Or Nilly's rec of hot chocolate is good too.

vw, I love your tagline:

Thank, Nilly! I'm continuing in my short tradition of quoting professors in my tagline.