I think that our thing must be something different. Perhaps it's just winter hitting us all at once. Most of the librarians at work are just so tired our knees are wobbly, with a little bit of achyness, but no definitive symptoms. I wouldn't have thought anything of it if we didn't all feel the same way at once.

I would love to take time off, but I'm already way behind and I'm supposed to go visit my mom next week. Sigh.

I can't put it off any longer. Must. sleep. now.

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Could just be winter's idea of a practical joke, yes. Frankly, I have no idea where my ick originated.

Hope your visit with your mom goes well. And without us wanting to shake her and tell her how wonderful you are.

Mine is on her way up (thus, must clean like whoa tomorrow) but I am very lucky that we generally get along fabulously and, not unrelatedly, have figured out where to just accept the differences between us.

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libkitty, I forgot to commisserate about your mom. Aren't parents fun? If you were rail-thin, she'd find something else.

Mal has cut down on his sleep, going to bed an hour later and getting up an hour earlier. Now that it appears to be routine, I have to deal with getting up at 6:30. My new plan is to hit the exercise bike every morning - that way I will stay warm and kickstart my metabolism. And Mal almost knows to stay away from the pedals.

So I biked this morning...and then bought a big doughnut for brekkie.

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"I must tell Fay the Bible supports her in e-mail."

Go me!

The prospect of Peeves wrangling a sugared-up Jilli is just cute like woah. Darn. Jeeves is Love, people!

iovaguely-Jilli-relatedn, I bought The Velveteen Rabbit over the weekend, it being a book I had never actually read. But with a vague knowledge of the plot I reckoned that it would go down well with my kids, since Barney the Dog is such a central part of our class.

Oh My God. I wept pretty much from cover to cover. I was reading it out loud (kind of to The Cat Daniel, but mostly not, because really? He could care less) and there were places where I just had to stop and breathe for a bit.

Because, yes, I am indeed mad as a bag of frogs. But I have to practice, if it's something potentially sad-making, because books and movies and poems often slay me. I cannot, for example, read The Highwayman (amongst other things) to kids, because it breaks me. Even though it's not even one of the saddest things. But I mention it because it's such a cracking poem to read out loud when teaching about rhyme and rhythm and all that jazz...except for the part where it kills me ded.

Turns out that The Velveteen Rabbit also kills me ded. Damn it. But I'm going to have a crack at it anyway. In a bit.

Meanwhile, I'm rereading Swordspoint, which I first read almost exactly half my life ago.

Still loving it.

Also watching Deadwood Season 1, and it's very good. And I've now adjusted to Ian McShane being in it. (He's loosely the equivalent of Henry Winkler among my people, if Henry Winkler was only known for playing the Fonze in Happy Days, in terms of cheezy iconic lovable rogue figure fancied by one's mum. Except for the part where Lovejoy was an antiques dealer. And now instead of "Go on, Lady Jane, you know you want to buy this sixteenth century mirror to admire your lovely face in" it's all "Fucking kill the fucking little girl now you cunting hooplehead fuck.")

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JZ! So good to read your fonts. I remember being broken by Ben's 2 month shots. Broken. So broken I had an ephiphany. You were wise to self-medicate with martinis.

Oh, thank you! And I did survive, much better than I had thought.

Oh good, Teppy. You weren't saying, and I didn't know how to ask. Then that cunning JZ went and asked you in English. How innovative!

In fact, The Boy is sitting on my living room floor right now, cutting out coupons (he has a minor obsession with coupons -- it's endearing and frightening). So I think that means All Is Well.

Just don't let him meet Cashmere, I smell a potential soulmate thing.

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Fun cut beth!

So, surprise surprise, I have about 12 days of work to do today to prepare to go to the keys tomorrow. Not the least of which is taking the dog to the vet since she has bald icky spots. grumble and gronk

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black coffee:

The poker discussion in Natter reminded me of a poem/lyric my mother asked me to research. One of her Irish uncles used to quote this and she has never found the original. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

life is a game of poker
happiness is the pot
life deals you five cards in the craddle
and you play whether you like it or not

She said it went on at length, but since it was about 75 years ago she can't remember the whole thing. Xposty from Natter since I have hit a dead end looking for this. (maybe he made it up)

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Laura, that sounds a teensy bit familiar, but I don't know anything of worth about it. Sorry.

May your 12 days off have a minimum of dog-with-bald-spot level projects, and a lot more fun. And PIE.

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Hee, I wish it was 12 days off. It's 12 days of work I need to cram into today so I can take 5 days.

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In fact, The Boy is sitting on my living room floor right now, cutting out coupons (he has a minor obsession with coupons -- it's endearing and frightening). So I think that means All Is Well.

Coupons KICK ASS! I saved $34 off my grocery bill this week. Granted, I subscribe to thegrocerygame.com because I am lazy and like to have a printable sale spreadsheet that I can pick and choose from. But still--LOVE the couponing. I suspect this whole process appeals to the OCD aspects of my personality.

The Boy is cool. And I'm glad all is well.

beth, the hair is CUTE! I wish I had that much body in my hair.

Not the least of which is taking the dog to the vet since she has bald icky spots. grumble and gronk

oof. I hope that's nothing.

DH has called off work the rest of the week. He spent a miserable evening last night and doesn't go to the doctor until 3 p.m. today. I hope whatever they give him knocks this sinus thing out of the park because I hate seeing him so miserable.

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