"If you could tell me where I could buy two-ply, current season, lord & taylor lable cashmere for eleven dollars I'd appreciate it very much because I'd never have to come here again."

This is just perfection on a stick. I'm sorry the sales person acted so unreasonably about an even exchange. Definitely write that letter.

thwaps L&T for Trudy

Dear lord. What asshats.

It's raining here...a lot. Ask me if I've moved all of the rest of my stuff inside the apartment. Ask me if a table, my mother's luggage, and a bunch of odds and ends are still sitting outside on the patio. No wait, don't.

Sigh.

(makes plans to transport Beverly to Chez Bee)

Forget the chores, let's have some fancy umbrella drinks and go to the bookstore. Then we'll sit and play with beads and I'll show you the marvel of how Mishka helps with every project without disturbing it much.

I want the Beverly! I'll give her Nick's room, and she can decorate it how she likes, and I'll feed her, and if she occasionally helps tidy, that would be lovely but not required. In fact, she could keep me company while I tidy. It would give me incentive; and she could hide out in her room whenever she liked. I would even make her door baby-proof so they wouldn't get into her stuff.

Oooh! Decisions, decisions. An embarrassment of choices. Thank you, dears. I'd more than love to take you both up on your offers. I'll let you know.

Imaginary visits for everyone!

No, I get the Beverly. She can stay in my guest room, which is decorated with souvenirs of the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. I bet that's the only 1933 World's Fair bedroom offer she gets.

OK, more like forty miles. Just checked.

Yes, but you can mention you had to rent a car just to exchange a sweater... And then hit them with the whole because they can't be bothered to move beyond the 19th century and do an inter-store ship.

Oh! and hit them with lack of adequite communication between employees. Store brass hate to hear they can't communicate.

No, I get the Beverly. She can stay in my guest room, which is decorated with souvenirs of the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. I bet that's the only 1933 World's Fair bedroom offer she gets.

Hmmm. At Chez Zmayhem Beverly could sleep in Emmett's room under mosquito netting with a map of Middle Earth on the wall, and a miniature Sting (the sword not the Police) in a stand on his desk and a perfect Matisse cutout portrait of Legolas and a globe and a pirate hat. Or in the living room with the Hamlet!Mouse under the Arkham Asylum gate, Emmett's nose cast shadowbox, the OED and a Bat Manuel figure gesturing to her come hitheringly.

JZ's back in bed reading the beautiful large size Little Nemo collection that came out this year. One of her Christmas presents. We woke up and it was raining hard. We had cappucinos and nibbled shortbread and watched Amelie. Afterwards I threw lots of xmas chocolate into the double boiler and whisked in milk and made superdeluxe hot chocolate.

It's a good morning.

Trudy you should definitely send a letter. Maybe you can get some cashmere socks out of it.