Okay, I'm installing a peephole this weekend. Pinky swear.

Jilli, can he come give that speech to Joe?

Sure! It'll be fun!

Although, I know what you mean, Susan. I feel for people too. Despite wanting to freelance for The Ministry. My stepfather brought home his Criminal Psych Ward roommate. He lived with us for two months. Very sweet guy, came in the lock-up on*crazy* Thompsonesque cocktail of drugs.

Definitely good about the closed door, Susan. We live in a decent neighborhood and my next door neighbor is a cop. But we're wedged between two bad neighborhoods and get a lot of cross traffic. I've got to get better about not opening my door to strange men I don't know when I'm home alone with the baby.

But that still leaves us with prayerful defining prayerful

That's what I meant. It just sounded like a completely awkward use of the word--not to mention opportunistic with all the prayer. As if this were a religious issue. It's not. It's a legal issue.

I feel equally horrible about the idea of her starving to death

What's upsetting about that to me is, clearly, there are kinder ways for her life to end, probably many of which are easily available in her nursing home.

No, it's actually a very peaceful, painless way to go when you're that far gone already. My mother had no food (or feeding tube) for about her last three weeks, and no IV fluids her last week of life once she came home. The body gradually just shuts down, but it's not at all the kind of tortuous experience that it would be for a healthy person.

Drill: $20

Drill bits: $5

Peephole door viewer: $10 to $40+, depending.

Peace of mind: Priceless

I have small windows on each side of the door. Which means I have an excellent view of whomever is knocking. But that also means they know I'm there, too. It's kind of a pain in the ass.

I still don't get that, unless I recognize your T-shirt. Signed: Peepholes only Show Me Torsos, of Phoenix.

I have no peephole or convenient window. If someone knocks that I'm not expecting, I'll call, "who is it?" If there's no answer, I don't open. If it's someone who sounds uncertain but plausible, I have my hand on a sword when I open the door. Said sword is out of sight just case the person on the other side has some sort of authority. I think the cops know Hubby's home most days, so when they want to know what's going on in the neighborhood they ask him. Amazing how many times a cop has shown up a couple of days after someone in the building decides to move.

And it's amazing how uncertain a young cop who grew up in this terribly trusting town can sound when challenged by a firm, suspicious voice through the door.

I am home.

They called a snow day at work a little over 2 hours after I got there.

Interstate closing, lots of places closing. Some places south of us may get 22 inches.

Sigh.

I wanted to work.