EMPRESS(smiles): I think you're going to have to talk to our branch manager about this. She's in Simi Valley. Very hands-on. TENANT leaves, absurdly gratified. EMPRESS laughs evilly.

send tenant on bagel run to Simi

Oooh! Extra tricksy and mean! Send her to a place with no bagels!

Jen, seconding all the "move" votes. D'you notice you're not getting any "stay" votes? This is because staying is not your optimum option.

Bad tenant! No being mean to the Empress!

Something else, something else...can't think. Stomach trying to gnaw through backbone. Spinach and broccoli pizza siren-songing me from fridge.

Ah! *Still* jealous beyond the telling of both Trudy and LeePerkins. Jealousjealousjealous.

Back soon.

lipid regulation of voltage-gated potassium channels

I think there's too much lipid interference in the voltage-gated potassium channels, and if we only deregulated the voltage-gated potassium channels, they'd be more competitive, resulting in greater efficiency and prosperity.

Yes, but shouldn't the state be in charge of all biological functions?

Yuck for the colonoscopy, Sail. The human colon is not meant to be that clean.

David, when I was about eight, I was playing on the ice on a pond behind school and recess and slipped and split my upper lip. There was blood everywhere. A teacher fainted. I had to go to the emergency room and get four stitches. My front teeth were just barely hanging on, so I had to eat soup for weeks on end. By about a week after the accident, it was one of the best things that had ever happened to me up to that point. Everyone admired the amount of blood and the stitches were the height of social cachet. The only lasting effects have been a scar on my upper lip and a lingering dislike of Campbell's chicken noodle.

Nicole, AIM froze, I had to reboot it, and then you were gone.

Sorry. Sudden meetings exist today purely as a means to piss me off. More, that is.

And lots of ease-ma to Hec. The reaction after the crisis is awful, when it's your child. But he is okay, probably more okay that his adults, this morning. And he'll be even better, soon.

I just talked to him and he sounded pretty chipper. He was excited that one whole nostril was now working. Still not feeling any pain either. I'm hoping this is ultimately a fracture that will require minimum mending. JZ and I will go over to see him tonight and drop off his Marx Brothers box sets. Mostly though I just need to see him and connect so my brain doesn't spin off on the bad scenarios.

I talked to the other coach who was there and saw the accident better than I did. He confirmed DXM's theory that it wasn't the throw so much as the first baseman completely failing to get his glove up. Also, Emmett should have run through first base, instead of stopping on the base and facing toward second. Anyway, the kid who nailed Emmett was pretty upset, but Emmett assured me that he'd talk to Noah at Saturday's practice game.

AmyLiz, thanks for the Sassy Bob update. I do want to see pictures. That goes for you too, Lilty.

erika, I did get your email. I'll reply.

Phew. Starting to settle down. Need coffee.

Sorry. Sudden meetings exist today purely as a means to piss me off. More, that is.

No worries. I just didn't want you to think I abandoned you.

I'm betting Emmett's whole team will be unanimous--after the shock is dealt with--in going, "Man, you look so cool."

I am glad Emmett is doing better. I hope seeing him tonight helps you to relax a bit.

Hec, hugs to all of you but especially Emmett - that's truly sucky all the way around. When I was 8 months prengant with my oldest, I tripped on a speed bump in our parking lot and went down face first like a ton 'o bricks. Nose broken in two places, blood everywhere (all over the only shirt that actually fit and was suitable for work, natch!) ENT was terrific and plastic surgery had to wait until months later due to above mentioned baby. After all the swelling went down, it wasn't half as bad but still? OUCH!! Ouch, ouch, ouch! Freaked the hell outta my husband too.