My nipples are NOT HAPPY.

Snerk. I went outside a little bit ago. It's a glorious sunny winter's day. Blue sky, sunshine everywhere--and wind that will kill you. Between 25-30 mph, according to the websites.

{{{Erin}}} and {{{SexM}}} I wish I could say more, but I don't have the wherewithal to do it today.

Laura, I hope it's him. Lineup~ma is yours.

Thanks for the ~ma everyone. AFAIK, my cousin still hasn't been released from the hospital, but my sister got the call this morning to schedule the surgery on her hand. She's got a compound fracture of her left-hand ring finger that requires a pin to heal properly. That's going to be done on Wednesday. She also is going to have a consult with a plastic surgeon to make sure the (whitefonted for the squeamish) hole in her chin heals with minimal scarring.

Gronk. And gah.

{{{{Maria}}}} Lots and lots of ~~ma to them.

And I got distracted.

I am all verklempt from the gift Teppy just sent me via Paypal. I had to mute my phone for a couple of minutes to get my sniffles under control. My Puritan ancestors are proud of me, because I keep whipsawing between "Did I make them feel guilty?" and "I can use this for bills" and "We're going to the fancy place for lunch this weekend!" (Brazilian carnivore-fest grill). I am going to hold some of it back to cover the fees for my website, and, probably, the registration fee for my car, which comes due in January (I don't need that adventure again).

Thank you. Blessings on all of you, whether you donated or not.

(Then again, there's Buffy DVDs I don't have yet)

{{{Maria}}} I'm so glad they are not totalled themselves. All the best for excellent surgeons and speedy healing for them.

Laura, I so totally feel that you will definitely recognize that jerk, and that it will be him.

~ma as needed. I am so wiped out I'm skipping my boss' Christmas party right now, which is probably not good politically, and I know I'm missing quite the spread, but I just can't stay upright one minute longer.

I am all verklempt from the gift Teppy just sent me via Paypal.

FTR, I was the messenger, not the sole gift-er. t edit (That's not a reply to you, Connie -- just a factoid in case anyone's reading comprehension is still under-caffeinated.)

"Did I make them feel guilty?"

Pfft! Try "made them feel love." So there! Tell your inner Puritans that if they shut up, you'll get them a cookie.

I was the messenger

Messengers get kisses, because they're the ones who are there when the good news arrives.

That's what makes being the messenger so. freaking. COOL.

Except for the dude way back in Marathon, Greece. His gig sucked.

"The battle of Marathon happened, and then this bloke, he ran 26 miles, the length of Marathon, and then he said, "We won the battle of Marathon!" And then he dropped down dead. Now if you'd lost you could understand that ... But if you've won, surely you just saunter down, you don't run. You get in the car, you get some naked people with you, you take a lot of drugs, "Hey! We fucking won! Three nil!" And you live forever. Surely!"

Having recently driven to Marathon, I'd also like to point out that it's an EXTREMELY hilly run. Mountainous, even.

Of course, that's not the first time in human history that somebody doing something completely batshit insane has become legend.

(Also, "marathon" is the Greek word for "fennel.")