I did the pay by the pound laundry thing when I lived in Atlanta and had a new puppy and fucking insano working hours. It was a stretch, I was really living on a shoe string, but as a sanity-saver it was worth every dime.

Which reminds me, I need to take the dry cleaning in this morning if I want to be decently clad next week.

Oh, JZ, that is LOVELY! I have major want. Alas, I also do not have the need or the cash, so I shall let it go...

t sniff

I have no words for the loveliness of Lily. Those pictures make my heart go ka-thump in a swoony kind of way. She is SO beautiful, as is her mama.

JZ, if you hauled the clothes to the laundromat and washed them yourself, how much would you spend in quarters? How much more than that would the drop-it-off laundry cost? I bet not a whole hell of a lot. Just do it, and be freed from it so you can spend time with your two guys, once they wake up.

Susan, you can take claritin with Tylenol 3 and flexeril, no problem.

Ima go hug my washer and dryer.

Lily is lovely. Buffistas have such pretty babies.

Susan, I can't think of any reason not to take an antihistamine, except that it might make you sleepier than usual. You need to start stretching your back. I can't think of anything that should specifically be avoided, except to remind you of what you already know: lift with your knees, not your back.

Claritin, check. My sinuses thank you, Teppy.

Gentle stretching, check. More than anything, I'm worried about trying too much too soon and putting myself right back where I was Tuesday.

Y'all are very wise, though I am still looking at the 30-40 lbs. of laundry and sweating at 70 cents a pound. And we'll never be caught up, not unless we someday get a washer/dryer in our building.

I am never. Ever. Again. Living in a residence that does not have a washer and dryer within my front door. Or one that lacks a dishwasher. This do I swear.

bt, I can take or leave the dishwasher part of it (washing dishes can be kind of Zen and I have an abnormal fondness for bubbles and for splashing my hands about in water), but WRT the washer/dryer, your vow is my vow. We won't be moving for a couple of years yet, most likely, but when we do, a washer/dryer in the building is going to be one of the nonnegotiable dealbreakers.

And if somebody doesn't get that cape, my heart will break. I may have to check back after payday -- after all, I have a swirly black cape but I don't have a swirly hot pink cape.

t random

I think my boss should have a swirly black cape. And he should grow his moustach longer, and wax it into twirlable points.

t /random

Also? I can feel Erin's rightful wrath from here. That boy is rude. Hell with him.

Okay, you guys, this is insane -- my mom and stepdad are leaving today for a vacation in Paris (well, that's not the insane part). So my Mom calls me to say goodbye and all the last-minute fretting she does. In the course of the conversation, I hear my stepdad babbling at her, and she says he needs her help with something, she'll be right back. A minute later, she comes back and says that my stepdad was cleaning his ear with a Q-tip and the cotton came off the Q-tip and is stuck in his ear and he needs her help to get it out, and she'll call me back. Okay, fine.

She calls back about 10 minutes later, says she can't get all the cotton out, do I have any recommendations? I say, put some peroxide in the ear, let it sit for a few minutes, tilt your head to dump out the peroxide and maybe the cotton will come out, and if not, maybe it'll be easier to pull out with tweezers.

She calls back 10 minutes later, saying it didn't help, the cotton is still in there, and they're going to the emergency room and might miss their flight.

WTF?!? It's just cotton! If it were me, I'd say -- it's a long flight, and I'll deal with it on the plane. And if not, it's just cotton. It's likely to come out after a shower. And if not, it's just cotton. It can wait until they get back.

Perhaps I am too cavalier about ear safety. Now, if he had punctured his eardrum, I would say hell no, don't fly. That would be dangerous. But this is not a punctured eardrum. They crazy.

JZ likes capes.

But the Currier and Ives type, not the superhero flavors.

Lilybean is just is so prettyful she makes me gooey.

I'm glad your back is recovering Susan. I'd say the main thing is consciously bend from the knees for everything for a while. Don't bend over at your waist - squat. You won't blow out your thighs.

I cannot even imagine somebody passing on a Chanel scented ready-for-fun Erin. That's just so wasteful. That's like shoving cheesecake down the disposal. It's like dropping a bottle of Talisker over the balcony with cobblesones below.

Little League yesterday, Little League today, Little League tomorrow. And then? Little League on Monday too. At least Emmett's team is playing better than the A's this year.