Thanks for the lovely thoughtfulness, Zmayhems. I don't know how you knew I was missing my dad yesterday, but reading about the candle-lighting was really comforting.

Do you by any chance have a Super Sekrit Identity, billytea? One that involves wearing identical outfits on a daily basis and calling rabid and poisonous pointy-toothed critters hell-bent on homicide "grumpy little fellas"?

Lord no. I'm far too polite to go grabbing things by the tail and hauling them up for the cameras. Plus, they're far more interesting under their own steam.

I'm pleased to hear it.

(Although I have never laughed harder or longer in my entire life than I did the first time I stumbled across Steve Irwin. It was Deadly Snakes with Steve Irwin, iirc, and the sheer glee with which he pursued the green mamba up a tree, exclaiming rapturously "It's the Green Mamba!!!!", while a (presumably terrified, armour-clad) cameraman had to scurry after him...well, it was shockingly funny. In a blindfolded-guy-juggling-greased-warheads kind of WTF???!!!??? way.)

Anyway. Glad to hear you aren't him. I don't think I could really fight crime with someone who was that suicidal. (And I'm speaking as someone who owns a cape. DESPITE what the best authorities advise.)

Happy new year, all. We've had our medicine, and a brunch of waffles with maple or boysenberry syrup and scrambled eggs with ham bits and sharp white cheddar and are now lizardy, except without the sun. Or a rock.

DH just headed out for bagels. I didn't drink alcohol, but feel as though I have a hangover.

Happy New Year all - Trudes, it finally arrived, thanks ever so. Now may it bring a fresh attitude with it.

Happy New Year, Bitches!

I think I'm in trouble at work for the whole fire alarm thing. Oh, they are not blaming ME for the alarms going off, just that I had the temerity to not only evacuate the house but also call the fire department, never mind that the fire Captain told to do exactly what I had done if it happens again. The big boss is blaming the house manager for the alarms going off - it was she who had a humidifier going (plus a vaporizer for the guy with pneumonia), after all. Cuz ya know, it ain't like previous winters when other managers were in charge and they had a humidifier going in each bedroom, and so much moisture in the air water was dripping down the walls could possibly have anything to do with the smoke detectors getting messed up. Maintenance had to come a couple years ago to patch up the wall where an employee's head went through after he slipped in a puddle on the floor from the condensation, but that was not such a problem that it could have contributed to the smoke detectors' wiring getting corroded.

IOW, big boss likes blaming people for stuff, therefore whatever we do is wrong.

Happy New Year, all. I'm a little hungover this morning - we managed to drink quite a bit last night. Oh, well. Happy to see guests soon!

Alpha-bits. Breakfast, it's what's for dinner. Or not. Hi, Juliana. Glad to see you.

Do you by any chance have a Super Sekrit Identity, billytea? One that involves wearing identical outfits on a daily basis and calling rabid and poisonous pointy-toothed critters hell-bent on homicide "grumpy little fellas"?

Lord no. I'm far too polite to go grabbing things by the tail and hauling them up for the cameras. Plus, they're far more interesting under their own steam.

Thank heavens. I would hate to think that anyone around here would be so stupid as to broadcast the (attitude if not the words) "Hey look, there's a hole, why don't I crawl into it to see if there is a snake!". For Irwin, I have been told, this behavior had predictible results when he engaged in it while in Arizona.

Happy New Year, Bitches! καλή χρονιά!

WS, have him put in writing that you shouldn't evaculate when a fire alarm goes off and you will own him forever. What a great story that would be in the local news.

The New Year's party I went to last night was at the home of a friend's boyfriend. He has two pinball machines! I realized that if I owned a pinball machine, I would never get anything done. I had forgotten how mesmerizing they are. He also had some pretty decent art and a giant television. He said the look he was going for was "ultimate bachelor pad."

I'm trying to decide whether it would do me good to write something reflecting on 2005 or if I'm better off with my usual philosophy that the unexamined life is worth living. 2005 was not my best year.