Note to self: Putting one's complete music library on shuffle can lead to brain-ouchy things like having a Nine Inch Nails followed immediately by the Andrews Sisters' "Strip Polka."

Playlists are there for a reason.

t waves to Anne

t waves to everyone

Had a super dooper cool ass party. Burgers, hotdogs and beer. (don't worry Hec, I fed your wife veggie burgers and grilled asparagus and hummus with farmers market fresh veggies). JZ's brother and his partner in crime are AWESOME. (I'm always amazed when "outsiders" are anything less than completely overwhelmed by the Buffista-ness of 15 or so Buffistas -or as my mom calls us, Buffistinas!)

And there was Nutty (a doting auntie) and flea and Mr. flea (both very tall and very warm and wonderful) and baby Casper, who is not a baby anymore and is quite beautiful and smart and good natured and quite a lot of fun. She also flirted with my husband, the little blond hussy!

sj and Mr. Guy (short for Teacup Guy) are really sweet and quite smitten with each other. I also have sj's pasta bowl, and her little freezer thingies so I will have to see her soon Mwahahahaha!

The weather was wonderful. DX, Theodosia, Emily, and vw saved the day by bringing chairs for the yard, and vw made the most AMAZING desserts. Frankenbuddha was my hero because he brought Salem Beerworks' Watermelon Ale. Victor and Thessaly made it from Worcester. Jen brough incredible marinated mushrooms and also left a Tupperware container, Mwahahaha! She also may have bewitched and bedazzled my cutie pie (but married) neighbor.

I hope Ellen made it back on the train.

And JZ, the guest of honor, was gracious and beautiful and told very funny stories and was a joy to hang out with and I hope to see her again real soon.

So, yeah. Good party.

Thanks WindSparrow. She seems to have forgiven me today, as evidenced by her climbing over my shoulders and back and forth across my lap, before settling down with her head on my leg for a snooze.

And JZ, the guest of honor, was gracious and beautiful and told very funny stories and was a joy to hang out with and I hope to see her again real soon.

I guess you and Tom are going to have to come to San Francisco then.

Today's Wally Report involves a date recap from yesterday: it was an excellent date, by which I mean that the echidna came out to greet us! (No, it's not a euphemism. I saw an echidna.) Yet it was shy, and hid its head when I came up for a better look (I might have been overeager). After a half minute or so, it was reassured enough to take a stroll. My date agreed it was extremely cute, and I explained to her the importance of echidna snot.

Also! Saw both the snow leopard and the clouded leopard, and four male lions lounging around together. And orangutans using thick sheets of paper as either rain shelters or fashion accessories. And the reptile house, of course. Lots we didn't see too, though; and it rained! That hadn't been in the forecast. Boo.

Anyway, no particular sparkage on the date, but we got on well enough. (Oh, and for the Interesting Thing Lottery, she pretty much hit the jackpot, and got to hear the Testicle Story.) She'll probably be coming along to our next games night.

The next target of the billytea charm will be a woman who is an actuarial student, and particularly interested in meeting other actuaries. And notes on her profile that anyone contacting her has to give a good reason (thinking she's good-looking, apparently, is insufficient justification). She has standards, I like that. Oh, and I've heard back from someone else whose profile name is 'Grooveytoosh', and someone else has been trying to call me. Further updates as warranted.

Just back home myself (after a detour to Whole Foods).

Nora and Tom's house is OMG SO PRETTY!!1! Full of character and quirks and rich little details, and for having been there just over a month they've already done a crazy lot of unpacking and organizing and homeifying. And the longer they live there, the more completely unpacked and filled in and lived-in it is, the more amazing it's going to be. It's really just a terrific place.

And Nora and Tom were incredibly gracious, kind hosts (and Tom is a very quietly but very intensely doting DH). Nutty was her usual polished articulate quietly snarkalicious self, Emily was her usual leggy witty snarkalicious self (with bonus ringlets, courtesy of the humidity), vw brought groaningly rich desserts and looked relaxed and mellow and happy.

Victor was expansive and cheerful and rapidly got involved in an energetic discussion of proofing and copy style books with my brother Lukas's partner TJ. Lea was slightly sun-pinked but happy and voluble and with glorious short-cropped carroty orange hair, and was hard at work on a tiny complicated triangle of some complicated autumn-colored knitwork. DX was amused by everything and quite entertained by Caspar's serious, intent exploration of the backyard. flea and mr. flea were cool and charming and a really easeful, attuned-to-each-other couple to watch, and Caspar flitted back and forth between them, all bonded and eager and confident with them both.

Ellen was calm, quietly warm and snarky and interested in everyone and everything (planning to walk around Salem before catching the train, just so she could take it all in). Theo wore a cunning hat and was working on a gorgeous feather-light intricate cobweb of a black mohair scarf, and had tales of roommates, cats, homeowner woes, and Serenity viewings. Frankenbuddha brought excellent beer and tales of dodgy roommates and dodgier basement apartments and moving mishaps. And sj and TCG were, as noted above, smitten and attentive, and both just as beautiful as they look in the pictures sj has posted. And sj brought me a lovely little bag of Bitchly treats for no reason at all, and I'm still squeeing over them.

Also, despite Jen's blazing hotness, I did not run off with her, as she left a bit early for an evening of Shakespeare in the Park with a mysterious stranger. My heart is all broke.

Also, I now owe Hec a number of hugs from a variety of people. I take my duties very seriously, and I shall endeavor to deliver every last one to the very best of my ability.

I'm sure it will be your cross to bear.

Hooray for great Nora & Tom partyage!

And go Billytea with the killer combo of dating and echidnas!

I was felled with a kiler migraine this noon which is just now fading. One of those really bad ones. Yuck.

And go Billytea with the killer combo of dating and echidnas!

No echidnas were harmed in the making of this Wally report. I, however, am ded from the cute.

Just back home myself

::checks bedroom::

I was felled with a kiler migraine this noon which is just now fading. One of those really bad ones. Yuck.

That is no way to spend a birthday. I think I need to send you a birthday present.

billytea, I'm thoroughly impressed and enjoying your dating strategies which (to my mind) betray a veteran of many D&D campaigns, with a side of Toastmasters.