Sean, that sounds just wonderful. The menu sounds delicious and mold-free.

(SOMEONE had to say it)

Teppy, backflung

Sean, can your stepmom throw my next birthday party too?

You bet, as long as I can come.

Also, CONGRATULATIONS, JESS!!!!!!

Rule of dieting. If you are still hungry 20 minutes after eating, the hunger is your body needing food, and not just habit. Find something healthy or you fall for the first unhealthy thing that comes along.

Well, yeah, I did eat a delicious and satisfying lunch, then was faced with delicious gourmet treats. It's all about the comfort food thing. I certainly didn't need to eat the mini-sandwich and cookie.

Oh and in terms of chicken salad without Mayo; there are fat fee mayos out there. The usual ones have four carb grams per tablespoon, but if you have a Safeway in your area, Safeway's "Enlighten" fat free spread has 2.5 carb grams per tablespoon (and to me tastes better besides).

I have no problem with mayo, really, except that when it travels it's less appetizing after a commute. The mayo-free salad is righteous on its own terms, not as a fat-avoidance strategy. I mean, roasted pepper vinnegrette! YUM! Better than mayo. In this case.

I have no problem with full fat mayo though. That just wasn't what I was going for in this particular case.

The menu sounds delicious and mold-free.

It was truly the exact opposite of moldy and tube-like.

Sean, that sounds lovely!

ImememeN, I have just finished spray-painting black stripes on a gray sweatsuit for Ben's Halloween costume. He's going as a prisoner, complete with ball and chain and funny little old-style hat.

I'm looking forward to next week. I have Halloween off, I have Friday off and I'm working an overnight on Saturday night so I can watch DVDs and wait for someone to want tech support.

Sean, that sounds like an amazing party.

Apparently my presumption that JZ was thoughtfully thanking all the gift givers was wayyyy off base.

Oh, honey, no. You don't want to go there. (I mean, yes, I should've squeed earlier about AmyLiz's and the McWarigles' gifts of Matilda-love because they totally rocked the hizzouse (and man, it's going to be hard not to dip into the bath stuff myself, it smells so good), but Hec's name was on the packages too -- and there's still his share of the thank-you list from the wedding moldering in a corner somewhere -- so nuh and uh.)

Accomplishments for the day:

Car moved to avoid a street-sweeping parking ticket
Baby fed
Clean dry dishes put away, dirty dishes washed
Living room and hallway vacuumed
Baby fed
Hospital called about stoopid billing problem with insurance co.
Cousin called to thank her for baby photo frame
Baby fed

Yet to do:

Call insurance co. to report that hospital has been called, with time of call and name of person I spoke with so they can just go at each other's throats and leave me out of it
Call day care provider recommended by co-worker
Another round of thank-you notes
Take long brisk walk
More coffee
Feed baby

I bet you can add "feed baby" a couple more times before the day is finally through, JZ. Argh! I wish I was in SF just for an hour so I could nibble baby toes!

And I didn't mean to make you squee on purpose! I just get twitchy when I send something in the mail -- or actually when something is sent *for* me, because then I don't know where it is. And the USPS has screwed me before, dude. Like, seriously.

Feed baby

No, see, you already did this. You'd get through your list a lot more easily if you didn't keep repeating things.

You'd get through your list a lot more easily if you didn't keep repeating things.

Tell that to my dishes. They seem to breed.