Go, BT! The echidnas honor your return to the dating pool.

billytea, I'm glad it sounds at least like a non-traumatic re-entry. Good for you!

BT--have you seen our friend Bob Harris's blog? [link]

He is mostly a political blogger, but he has a whole section devoted to Pudu and other cute tiny animals, some from your neck of the woods. He is a five-time Jeopardy champ and lives in sin with a former Buffy writer whose intitals are JE. He's a fab guy and I think you would like his site.

Yay for billytea! Glad it was a nice evening, love.

Re: the wonderful world of dating - spent most of yesterday with Date Guy, pretty much just eating lunch, wandering around and talking over coffee. He's enjoyable company, and we had plenty to talk about, but the better I get to know him the more I know it's not going to go anywhere, romantically.

(He needs to stop telling me things about his co-worker Lou, also, because I already have a bit of a crush on him. Learning that he's a talented artist and a trained opera singer and the voice of The Count in the Arabic translation of Sesame Street? Not helping to squish the inappropriate crush. Yes, I suck.)

Damn shame this isn't easier, this dating malarky.

are you awake?

But I need to have my car smogged today so I am going to shower and go do that.

Congratulations on the date-age billytea! (and Fay's continual dating, even if she is crushing on another at times.)

Today has the possibility of being a really painful and hard day for me. If that happens, I will likely be back here a lot. A vague disclaimer...

Cassiepants, call me ANYtime today. Just so you know.

If Kristin doesn't answer her phone, you can totally call me.

"She does have to say something eventually, right? Given that she can hear and make sounds, she won't spend the next 18 years just babbling, right?"-

When I was a kid, we had a pediatrician, Dr. Burr (who's hands were always freezing), who used to give a piece of advice to my mother whenever she was concerned about some developmental guideline, "I promise you that by the time she starts kindergarten, she..." whatever it was.

My little sister didn't have any hair until she was 3. I mean, bald as an onion. When she was 2, my mom asked Dr. Burr about it. "I promise you that by the time she starts kindergarten, she'll have hair."

I didn't talk much as a kid. My mom asked Dr. Burr about it. "I promise you that by the time she starts kindergarten, she'll talk as she sees fit."

His advice wasn't handwaving a mother's worry. Dr. Burr knew me and my development and knew that I just didn't see the need to talk much. He knew that I had 2 older sisters who would talk for me. He also knew that I was introverted and would probably never be chatty. Especially in a family with 3 chatty sisters.

So, I guess what I'm saying is, I promise you that by the time Anabell starts kindergarten, she'll talk as she sees fit.

billytea, I am very glad to hear that (a) you had a nice time on your date and (b) you are not falling into the trap of trying to make every date be "the one". Not that I was worried about that spepcifically, but it's just kind of, I don't know, refreshing. Some of my friends have not been so wise. More about me than you, no doubt, but still, kudos.

We are off to the pet store to get something to bribe the cats into not eating us while we sleep, and possibly something to sharpen their claws on that isn't the carpet or furniture. I am debating picking up some canned goods and bottled water, just in case, assuming the store shelves aren't all bare. We are waiting to buy a new garbage can (our old one got blown away) until after Dennis does whatever.

askye and anyone else on Gulf Coastish, good luck!

Oh, I reallized why the "Be good" sign off bugs me. It's what I say to my dog when I leave the house, meaning "don't crap on the carpet or eat the furniture". So I probably don't hear it in the spirit the sayer intends it.

When my folks left us kids either alone (in my older brother's care) or with a baby sister, my dad would always say "Don't burn the house down". Still good advice.

It's started raining here. Dennis isn't expected to hit here until tomorrow. I don't think I have enough water but I really don't want to go to the store.