Timelies,

I would so like to just go back home and sleep for another 3 or 4 hours. It's been a really slow morning here at work which hasn't helped the gronk any.

Happy Birthday, Fred Pete.

Sorry to hear about your grandfather, Kate P.

Your own zombie army, no killing required?

Does this freak anyone else out? I'm getting flashes of plotlines from assorted sci-fi and cartoons here.

Would also not pay money to cuddle with strangers. A good number of my friends are a fairly physical bunch (handshakes and hugs and the like) but I could imagine even doing that much with strangers, let alone pay for it. Then again, I'm also one of those who the idea of professional massage makes uncomfortable. Visits to the chiropractor are physical space invasive enough, and that's mostly just brief manipulations.

I have no issues being touched, by and large. Chiro, PT (my god his hands got about everywhere), masseur, it's all good.

Not to mention krav. The amount of time spent groundfighting would have crashed through any boundaries -- it's not just contact, it's hip to hip, lying down.

Outside of lessons, they're a hella touchy-feely bunch, probably because of the sweating we've already done all over each other.

The thing that freaks me out is, what is "wrong" with these people that they need to pay for human contact? Paying for sex, I understand. But for cuddling?

Kat-- cake!!!!!!!!!!! You are the Best!!!!1!!!!

I am being taken out to TWO meals tomorrow, due to having generous and fabulous friends. Is there any chance we could hang out (with cake!!!!!) on Sunday? I'll be able to eat more and it allows me to spread my birthday out over the whole weekend, and, you know, increasing Robin Birthday Celebration Time is one of my main goals in life. If not, I can certainly make time to hang out with you and eat cake!!!! but maybe not as much time (or cake!!!!).

That's really sad to me. It makes me wonder what's wrong with our society in this area, that people need this, or can be convinced they do. Humans do require touch. It's been shown to be both mentally and physically beneficial. It's sad people have to pay to get it from strangers.

A Bank apologizes for sending a customer an insulting credit card:

This is like the time that a friend got into my college's alumni database and changed my name to Dumbshit J. Dumbshit. I started getting letters with the salutation 'Dear Dumbshit.' It made their pleas for money pretty comical: 'In these challenging times for higher education, we rely on people like you, Dumbshit, more than ever before.'

I can dissociate sex from emotion (hi ma), but not cuddling. I just can't. So no strangers, unless it's the beginning of something bigger.

Those cuddle parties freak me out so much. Please to be not touching me. I actually shuddered last time I went to get my hair cut. Slightly embarrassing.

Robin, why don't we take you out for brunch and then cake on Sunday?

Jars, you've got me shuddering. Not because I'm bothered having my hair cut (in fact, I really miss having my hair washed), but because you reminded me of a krav instructor using me in a demonstration where he said "Get really close to your partner. This close. Breathing on the back of their neck close."

And then he did.

It's been a week. I'd never have guessed how much closer (and through my invisible walls) he got just by exhaling wetly. It still makes me shiver.