{{{Raq}}} How awful, how wretched for everyone: you, your friend, the wife and child he's left behind, all his family.

I'm all allergy-meds groggy, but feeling semi-accomplished and mildly less stressed than lately. Emmett, Matilda and I had a successful outing to downtown today, mostly to look at the SPCA critters in the windows of Macy's -- already 29 adoptions in the first two days! -- but also just to poke around. We went to Neiman-Marcus to goggle at the 5-story Christmas tree and roll our eyes forever at the ridiculously priced clothing ($850 for a pair of slacks? I mean, okay, Versace, but for $850 those slacks had better make you look like a goddess; and really, do goddesses even wear slacks? Then again, this is the store that once offered a million-dollar diamond-encrusted bra, for those times when merely being stinking fucking rich isn't enough, you want to tell the world that you can afford to put diamonds on your underwear.)

Emmett fell in love with a very expensive remote-control fire engine with a working water hose and played happily with it for almost an hour while I trolled the sale aisles and gagged over their Slutwear For TotsJuicy Couture offerings. He also enjoyed playing with a very expensive dollhouse ("Look! They're a happy cannibal family! 'What's for dinner, mom?' 'Roast baby!' And now they've all devoured each other, the happy cannibals.") and gaping at a chocolate Santa almost as tall as he was.

Then, off we went to Citizen Cupcake for sandwiches, salad, and the latest Bunny Suicide book; one more look at the SPCA critters (including a 4-month-old kitten in a space dressed up to look like the living room from A Christmas Story, complete with Red Ryder gun box and a tiny vintage TV on which ACS itself was playing); and then to home, giving Hec a good 4-hour break for book work and general noodling around and emotional replenishing. Hec's out now with Matilda (who snoozed peacefully through our entire outing and is probably snoozing again now), and Emmett and I are slounging, snuffling and stuffing our faces.

Plus, the space around the heater in the living room is all cleared out so we can safely turn the heater on, and we totally have enough money to make it to the end of the month. And Emmett's mom came through her surgery fine and is home and peaceful and un-harassed. If we just had some leftover turkey, life would be nigh to perfect.

Today my little girl turned 8. We're having her friends party in a week or so, but had my mum and Scott's parents over for dinner, and cake.

Happy anniversary of labor day, Cindy!

Twice as much! Twice as much!

Happy 8th, Julia.

Hey Sean, it'll be easy to tell you from MM. You won't be the one running in a tiny circle & swearing.

Also, yes, Sonus did not escape unscathed from the "Adorable" remark as he was close enough for me to hear on the TV (therefore his character was near by) and I rewarded him with a shotgun. To the face. It's a pity that you're always named by the gamertag attached to the machine, but that's an unavoidable facet of Live. We'll just have to get everyone colors next time. MM should be Mr. Pink.

MM, I love the lego Enterprise. I used to make those when I was younger, and I'd also make my own spacecraft which could open up and have seats for tiny little figures. Inevitably, their journeys through space would, after a few weeks to a month, end in fiery, lego jettisoning death. Then it'd be time to make a new spacecraft.

Thanks to the sound beating I took playing against Pete, I'm giving serious thought to acquiring a XBox Live membership of my own. Yay!

Inevitably, their journeys through space would, after a few weeks to a month, end in fiery, lego jettisoning death. Then it'd be time to make a new spacecraft.

Huh. My Lego spaceships tended to last an hour or two, as I'd quickly build another so they could battle. And sometimes I'd build whole armadas of little Vipers and Cylon fighters, which would fight in hours-long campaigns.

Thanksgiving dinner here was fairly traditional, with a bunch of odd compromise things: hors d'oeuvres of cheese and crackers and a few little frozen quiche things, cranberry bellinis, squash soup, turkey, stuffing (some cooked inside the bird, some vegetarian), mashed potatoes, meat and vegetarian gravies, sweet potato souffle, stuffed squash (with cornbread chestnut stuffing), and haricots verts with almonds. Dessert was pumpkin pie, apple pie, ice cream, and cupcakes.

Tonight, my parents and sister took me out for my birthday dinner. We went to Candle 79, an upscale vegetarian restaurant in the city. It was SOOOO good. Even my father, who I have never seen order anything other than roast chicken at a restaurant, said that it was good. We got a bunch of appetizers, I had rosemary-pepper grilled seitan for an entree (my sister and mother both got an almond-crusted seitan, which I liked better), and this really good Mexican chocolate cake for dessert. The sauce had a bit of ancho chile in it, and it was served with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream (the best non-dairy ice cream I've ever had.)

Happy Birthday, Julia!

If you are still up? Put down the sugary birthday treats and go to bed! Alternately, eat more sugar, get your own log in and amuse us. Either.

Spent the day at the Museum of Art looking at the "We wants to be immortal" stuff in the special Egyptian exhibit. Then dinner with the boys and now flopsing in front of the fire with wine and laptops.

And now some college guy is supposed to come by and buy my extra desk. Whoot! Mom is happy that she'll be here when a strange guy comes knocking. I suspect she either hasn't seen enough porn, or too much. Ah well. Frankly having enough room in my office to really use it will be thanks enough. Bwom chica bwwwwwoooooom, no matter.

Yay for getting rid of the extra desk, Cass!

Did you take your mom by the candy store?

Happy Birthday, Julia!

This.

If you are still up? Put down the sugary birthday treats and go to bed! Alternately, eat more sugar, get your own log in and amuse us. Either.

And this, as well.