"Four years after 9/11, Americans expected a better response to an emergency than this."

Wow! He said something I can totally get behind.

Sorry. I'm just a bit bitter.

He's done.

OK. Then I'll be home in... soon.

I hate Seattle traffic. Sometimes it only takes me 10-15 to get home, 45-50 on other days. And it's only 6 miles....

You coulda listened to the baseball game. Surely they're not pre-empting the M's.

"Quit it with the 'entrepreneurship' thing," 'cause while that's good, it's not neccesarily what's needed right at this moment.

'Entreprenuership' is always Republican code for 'the private sector should do it, not the federal government.'

Nevermind that the private sector tends to not do anything but look out for its own bottom line.

Susan! I realized when I hit the U that I'd left the coat at home.

::facepalm::

And, of course, didn't have your number or access to email.

I'll be driving up that way again tomorrow, though, as Paul's working late, so I'm going to pick him up so that we can shop for heavy curtains at Value Village. Will you be around? If not, I can send the coat with Paul, and he can drop it off for Dylan.

Gah. You people talked a lot while I was at work suffocating in piles of paper.

I second the love for low-rise boot-cut jeans with a bit of stretch. I have wide hips and a relatively small waist, but a poochy tummy, and nothing makes me look as good as those jeans. I bought my first pair from the juniors' section at Wal-Mart, which surprised me greatly. Don't ask me what put it in my head to even try on juniors' size jeans in the first place.

I used sugar instead of Splenda today. Maybe I've just gotten spoiled by the sweetness of Splenda, but it takes so much sugar to sweeten things to my taste, I think I'd be better off with Splenda while I'm still trying to lose weight. Unless someone gives me more evidence for the dioxin thing. However, it should be noted that, despite the stress of the day, today is the first in memory that I have not had tinnitus. (Well, okay, I do now, but that may be the alcohol.

Steph, re FormerCrush!Boy, I've known a lot of people, boy and girl, who, after clearly and explicitly turning someone down, only then become interested in them. It's weird. I think the combo of the admitted crush and their rejection makes them think they have all the power in the (not)relationship, and that turns them on. They don't even know what they're doing; if asked, they'll be all hurt and say they were just trying to be nice! And it never turns out well if the object of their sudden change of heart takes them up on it. Basically, at least on a subconscious level, he's trying to use you. He's a jackhole. Weep no more for his ass. And look at it this way: Soon you may get to turn him down. (Or, What Raq Said.)

Someone explain "man-ho" to me, please. I'm guessing it's not really a male prostitute.

Yay, Susan! I'm impressed. Two books written!

Gud, I'm sorry. Sending much positive ~ma your way.

vw, you will pass biology!

Aimee, the two-jobs sounds like it will wear you out fast. Please stop if it gets to be too much. Don't be a hero!

No. My take is slutty.

Hil, you still around? I have math issues.

I refuse to believe that a 38-year-old man is unaware of the signals he's sending via his behavior.

Could he be trying to do the "no-hard-feelings" dance but going too far?

It's an ego boost for him. And he thinks that by throwing you a bone by flirting, he's being a nice guy

What Emily and Cash said, both: he enjoys the ego boost, and thinks that by telling you "NO" first, he can enjoy the flirting, but know that you know it's not going anywhere.

I want to paint a blue paw print on Teppy's ass, and super-impose a lip print on top of that.

Er...WHAT?

Shoulder rubbing is flirting, straight up, one of the CLASSIC flirts

No kidding.

I think that he is inclined to be flirty now because there is absolutely no risk involved. He's told you STOP, so he is in the driver's seat as far as your relationship goes. He's the one who can turn it on or turn it off. Consciously or not (probably not), he's a control-freak, and risk-adverse because of that. He can flirt with you, and enjoy flirting with you, because he took the initiative of heading you off at the pass, so he doesn't have to worry that things will go too far, or otherwise get out of his control.

Oh dear. I think I see myself in Raquel's analysis here...

ION, I just applied for a second job working from 11pm to 4am

Um, unless it's a job you can actually do in your sleep, how the heck would that work??

I'll be driving up that way again tomorrow, though, as Paul's working late, so I'm going to pick him up so that we can shop for heavy curtains at Value Village. Will you be around? If not, I can send the coat with Paul, and he can drop it off for Dylan.

We should be around, but it might be easier to send it with Paul, especially if they're in the same building--am I right in remembering they are, or is it just that from my perspective the entire university might as well be contained in the Health Sciences Center, since that's where I worked, where everyone I knew worked, where all the other UW jobs I've interviewed for are, etc.?