( continues...) interesting bit was there were two of us that did most of the work in our group, and one was fussed about carrying others while the other one wasn't.

Oh, and then there were the debates, which were fantastic fun, and I got to show them the difference between someone who's debated before and someone who hasn't. (That difference, apparently, being wishing the lecturer's death and getting away with it.)

And I most deffinately never needed to build a Lincoln's Memorial out of sugar cubes.

This is remarkable. Was it called "The Sweetest President"?

Send them with torches. I think the sentient mold fears open flame.

But if it's brown mold, it will feed off heat, and must be killed with cold! I think the motto is, know thy mold. Um. Not like that.

The sentient mold refused to negotiate. In fact, it made insulting comments about my parentage, so it is now trapped under paper towels soaked in full-strength bleach.

Let the record show that Steph has established a bleachhead.

(1) You can call it "fresh rain" scent bleach, but that doesn't make it smell like anything other than a gigantic bucket of pool chemicals.

They should call it "Righteous rain to wash the scum off our streets". Oh! Happy birthday, erika!

{{{Plei}}} The budget does suck. It sucks being dragged slowly into debt again. It's like being nibbled to death by teeny, tiny ferrets.

I was reading this awful news story in the Columbus Dispatch today about how Ohio is now the lead state in mortgage forclosures and the story profiled all of these people who either, through unemployment or predatory lenders, ended up losing their houses. Whenever I get depressed about the budget, I try to keep thinking we're in a better spot than a lot of people.

Teppy & Bleach tag team 1, Sentient Mold NIL! I'm counting it as a win.

Bleach is bleach. Anything that keeps the regrouting/recaulking at bay is a win in my book.

My dad can kill a good mood faster than Karl Rove at Burning Man. And he had snarky things to say about my "Superfly music". ME: That's *Parliament*, Dad. And my friend the published author took time out of his life to give it to me because he heard I was having rough times.(and you know, cared, and stuff, is my subtext) I really think that whole Parliament aesthetic was sort of cool...maybe a little out-there for everyday wear, but they had a vision, right? He must be feeling a bit guilty because I got a comparatively large chunk of b-day bling. It would be cool, if my mood wasn't shit now. Except for a brief twelve-year-old interlude of laughing because "caulk" sounds like "cock" the way my dad says it. huh huh huh. That poor kid is gonna grow up soul-deprived. That ain't right Ooh, I know...I'll get him Jackson 5 for Christmas...my mother played it for us. It's sort of how I started on it and may be more popular around his house than "Me and Mrs. Jones". My brother bought me The RHCP Greatest Hits

That poor kid is gonna grow up soul-deprived. That ain't right.

Erika, can I save this for the next time one of my siblings spawns?

Of course, Billytea. To create smartass that an Aussie appreciates is quite an honor. You lot set a high standard to be envied.

Tropical Storm RITA is headed towards Florida.

Key West and environs is under a Hurricane warning.

Sigh.

Yeah, they've been evacuating all day. It doesn't look like a bad one, but the one behind it is pretty big.

Whenever I get depressed about the budget, I try to keep thinking we're in a better spot than a lot of people.

I'm too doom and gloom for that to help me (can too easily see myself as One of Them). Also, too selfish, because if I think that way, then I just get depressed and feel guilty about feeling cranky about the money issue.

I really sometimes wish I were wired to feel nice and virtuous (sp?) and stuff about frugality and self-denial. Blah blah blah, I'm-so-much-better-than-the-materialists-cakes, like everyone on every single frugal living thread I've seen. But, frankly, fuck that noise.

I like stuff. I like nice stuff. I like being able to purchase an item that fills an exact need, even if it's three times more expensive than throwing something together that kind of works.

You know the weird thing that cheers me up? Seriously, when I say weird, I mean, there is no rational reason why this should make me feel better about being broke. Luxist: [link]

Maybe it's the sheer WTF about so many of those items, because they're so wildly out of my reach I can't even begin to imagine even wanting to own them, so I can think about them and just laugh trying to picture myself with them. It's not like my lust for cable tv, or a new book, or a $4.99 cardigan to allow me to wear my nursing tanks through the winter.

{{Aimee}} ma for your friend.

{{Allyson}}

{{Plei}}

{{GC}}

{{Sparky and family}}

We had Kara's birthday party this afternoon at the park. Greg's family was very nice and we had a good time. Nick's friends came and the babies ran the young people ragged. Greg's sister has a 3 week old baby, and I got to hold her. She was lighter than any of mine were at birth, 7 pounds, 2 ounces. So tiny.

Tomorrow is Kara's first day of pre-school. She is nervous and currently banging the wall beside her bed. I'm nervous too, but not banging. Yet.

Yesterday I cleaned all of my bathroom except the sentient mold in the grout, which leered at me so I ran away. Perhaps I'll clean it tomorrow. Its days are limited, anyway.

Best of luck for Kara's first day! Take pictures!