On NPR I heard a guy interviewed who hauled his fishing boat from Lafayette to NO to help with the relief efforts. He said, "My wife said if we could help just ONE person, it would be worth it. So I said, 'come on, we're going'."

And CNN.com's front page shows a volunteer wading through water with one child on her back and one on her hip.

Maybe people don't suck after all.

Glad you are back, DW.

DW, I like your posts and like having you around. You have slid into the conversation much more seamlessly than most folks do, honest!

Robin speaks for me.

Damn, A's shortstop just went on the DL with a broken ankle. This after his coming off the DL at the beginning of the sea season set off their winning ways. This after we had one of our best games of the season last night beating the arch-rival Angels in an absolute nail biter.

Hey Robin! I've been missing you! how are you?

I am VERY overworked this week, Kat my dearest. Been putting in 10-hour days, which is so not my favorite thing to do.

OTOH, I am going to Minneapolis on a business trip in a week A BUSINESS TRIP, where I stay in a hotel and conduct meetings and have an expense account to charge meals to and whatnot. First time I have ever stayed in a hotel by myself, so I am goofily excited.

That IS exciting. Business travel = fun.

yeah, 2 choco cakes isn't really a HUGE problem. :-) Now when I go on a choco rampage, I have a place to go. I just have to cut up the cakes and seal them tightly.

Natal felicitations in order, LeN?

yesterday. thanks. :-)

Completely randomly, Hec's mention of the A's reminds me roundaboutly of our main entertainment for the evening last night. We watched the extra innings of the A's/Angels game, with Hec getting unbelievably wound up and frantic as the A's cutiepie redhead hit a lovely home run and then the entire rest of the team seemed about to piss it all away by handing the Angels a bottom of the final inning grand slam on a platter. The A's closer squinted, bit his lip, put on his game face, and won the game, and with the universe now back on course we slounged about and watched a late-season Friends rerun, because we are dorks.

Also because we are dorks, we spent much time being extravagantly amused by the plotline -- Rachel adopts an evil hairless cat -- and the spectacular un-eviltude of the cat. Every single hiss and snarl and spitty noise, Foley'd in, while the cat itself sat placidly on its pillow and blinked at everything around it with interest and mild amusement. J. Aniston would poke it nervously with an oven mitt, and the cat would blink and shrug at the mitt, then roll over and curl up on its other side. When she talked with her hands, it stared alertly at her with an obvious "Hey, when are those hands gonna stop waving and start skritching me?" expression, and then the instant its head was turned the Foley people patched in the fakest angry-cat-hiss evar.

For God's sake, in one scene this supposed ravening beast was wearing a sweater. Most unconvincing feral beast in entertainment history.

Anyhow, we were dorkily amused.

t /completely non-sequitorial