Good thing about having one of our state representatives resign because of that golf trip to St. Andrews with Jack Abramhof is that I'm pretty sure Raq isn't talking about one of my congressional reps. /hoping

So this morning, I've been feeling as close to a nervous breakdown as I have in a long time. I've taken the kids to a sitter and I'm going to try to decompress. And call my doctor.

{{{Sean}}} You're one great example of what love really means.

{{{{{Cash}}}}}

Hang in there. I hope you feel more stable soon.

{{{Cashmere}}} What happened?

{{{Sean}}} You're a prince, you know.

Raq, I'm still boggling. I think it's a good thing I don't work in diplomacy or government or anything remotely close.

Back from a long, long weekend with a lot of driving -- north of Syracuse to southeastern PA to West Virginia and back again. Thursday to Tuesday. Too much of having my ass planted in a car, that's for sure. The reunion was nice, though.

{{{Cash}}}

{{{Sean}}}

{{{Cash}}}

Send spare ~ma towards SF General for the hang gliding pilots who were shot yesterday at Ft. Funston. D was shot in the face, and his prognosis is grim. K's prognosis is very good, but he's supposed to have surgery today to remove the bullet lodged between his windpipe and his spine.

Must have more coffee before I face students. Gronk.

No one event. Just a long, slow build up of stress acerbated by sleep deprivation. Both kids have colds and between that and teething, Olivia hasn't slept through the night for abour four or five days now.

At least the Job Place called me and will be cutting me a check as soon as I fill out their w-9 (I forgot a digit on my tax id on the invoice I sent them).

::passes Sean a pot of coffee::

::or possibly a handful of Ambien, whichever he needs more::

You are doing such a fantastic, loving job of caring for S. Also, I'm in awe of your from-scratch cream soup skillz.

We are bt-less now. Hec is all collapsed back in bed in a pile of gronk; Emmett is going to be all disconsolate when he awakens fully and realizes the magical board game bt brought with him is also gone (I can't for the life of me remember the name, but it involved the construction of churches and other public edifices within a walled city, the acquisition of large sums of cash, building permits, dice, and pirates).

Raq, that is just jaw-droppingly, embarrassingly bad behavior. And these are actual elected congresscritters and spouses, Washington powerbrokers with sway over all our lives? God help us all (if He can stop crying and throwing up long enough to manage it).

ION, I just got the statement (not technically a bill yet until after my insurance deals with it) for the two days in the hospital at the beginning of the month. No surgeries, no production of an actual baby, just a room and an IV drip and blood draws and noninvasive monitoring -- $16,606.43. Including almost $600 worth of VD and blood typing tests duplicating tests my regular OB had already done that they could have had faxed over to them anytime for pennies, and $60 for 50 mg of Zoloft (Hec brought my Zoloft from home, but meds from home are not allowed). Plus $4100 a night for the room.

My insurance should cover all but a couple hundred of it, but the list of charges and all the freaking duplications is just bergoggling. I can't even think how Sean and S. and all the people without insurance manage to negotiate all this without coming totally unglued or descending into mindless panic. It's craxymaking.

Also, {{{Cash}}}

I thinka Buffista baby needs this outfit: [link]

$16,606.43

::faints::

the magical board game bt brought with him is also gone (I can't for the life of me remember the name, but it involved the construction of churches

I'll be it is Cities and Knights, a variation of Settlers of Cataan. Fela worships it.

Oy on the bills JZ. Cover your eyes!