She needs a little fresh air, mom.

Hmm. I was going to say I think Cindy's trying to tell us something.

Well, Hec did sum up our summer, nicely.

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Well, Hec did sum up our summer, nicely.

As Plei said, it could be me a lot of days lately, too.

You think I'd be more excited about cake, but it's yellow with chocolate icing. Which was the birthday boy's call, and his right, but damn it. Not my favorite. I wanted a bakery cake with about five inches of buttercream icing. And my flippin' birthday's not till April.

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We have to make that for my father's birthday every year. Not my fave, but I'm not big on cake to begin with.

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For my pillow, I put the larger of the 2 bumps under my neck. (Switch around for if you sleep face down so you don't choke.) But then I sleep like a maniac and hardly ever use it the way it was intended. I'm sure it will tell you on the packaging how to use.

And no, I haven't seen a doctor for my shingles for a couple of years. I got my first outbreak at 15, and since then have gotten at least 1 outbreak every year, sometimes as many as 3 in one year. Sun was the first cause, now it's usually just a stress reaction. Annoying, but usually pretty mild and nowhere near my eyes, just along my cheekbone. This particular outbreak seems worse than usual, but it still only lasted less than a week in duration so I don't worry about antiviral meds.

That baby "conversation" was funnee!

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Now I want birthday cake, and it's not even my birthday.

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Next week.

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You think I'd be more excited about cake, but it's yellow with chocolate icing. Which was the birthday boy's call, and his right, but damn it. Not my favorite. I wanted a bakery cake with about five inches of buttercream icing. And my flippin' birthday's not till April.

That means your half birthday is in October. You should have a half a cake. Mine was just six days ago. I neglected to have half a cake, and look what happened to me. CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE

For my pillow, I put the larger of the 2 bumps under my neck. (Switch around for if you sleep face down so you don't choke.) But then I sleep like a maniac and hardly ever use it the way it was intended. I'm sure it will tell you on the packaging how to use.

I don't think I've slept face down too much since puberty. Thanks, d. I will make sure I feel like it's supporting my poor old neck, since that's the point.

And no, I haven't seen a doctor for my shingles for a couple of years. I got my first outbreak at 15, and since then have gotten at least 1 outbreak every year, sometimes as many as 3 in one year. Sun was the first cause, now it's usually just a stress reaction. Annoying, but usually pretty mild and nowhere near my eyes, just along my cheekbone. This particular outbreak seems worse than usual, but it still only lasted less than a week in duration so I don't worry about antiviral meds.

Oh, man. I didn't realize you could have more than one break-out. I know it's the chicken pox virus reactivating, but I never thought about it returning. My grandfather had it when I was a teenager. It was very close to his eyes, close enough that they hospitalized him. My mother had it a few years back, but it was around her middle.

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I'm actually cold right now. It's 70 here today, I think, and sunny, but there's no humidity at all, and this house is completely shaded. The door's open to let the light in, but I think I actually have to close it. My nose is getting pink.

I neglected to have half a cake, and look what happened to me. CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE

There you go. A cautionary tale if I ever heard one.

Cindy totally enables my cake addiction. She's a cake pusher, I tell you. Just one of the many reasons I adore her, of course.

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Yeah, my dad gets outbreaks when he's stressed. Which is about the last thing you need when you're already, you know, stressed.

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AmyLiz, you realize when we finally meet, they'll be able to track us by a trail of cake crumbs and cigarette butts.

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