Galapagos pictures and captions are up for your viewing pleasure. Let me state now that Kevin wrote all the captions, and no one gets to laugh at the stupid hat I'm wearing in most of the pictures.

I'll be dark this weekend as I'll be in Boston for Boskone.

Happy Valentines Day!

If you didn't get a valentine it is because I don't have your address! Much love to all Buffistas.

I went back to my ENT today.

I'm having surgery on March 27th and will be off work for about 2 weeks. Unfortunately, my doctor dropped the bomb that the surgery may not recover my senses of smell and taste. He said I only have a 50/50 chance of them returning since the swelling in my sinus may have damaged the nerves in my sinus, damage that cannot be reparied. This was an unexpected turn of events which I wasn't prepared to hear.

Hey - going dark for the long weekend while sis is here. Hopefully I'll see LA istas this weekend.

Interview today went really well--they seemed so impressed with my event planning experience I'm almost afraid they'll think I'm OVERqualified. (I'm not, really. I know. And even if I were, it's only ten weeks, and the hourly rate is suh-weet.) They need a coordinator for a big fundraising auction because the foundation director will be on maternity leave, and the assistant director, who normally runs the auction, will be the acting director.

I have high hopes of a second interview, so jobma vibes would be great. Also, please vibe my DH right about now--he has a job review this afternoon, and is worried about the outcome. And since thinking before he speaks isn't one of his gifts, *I'm* worried too.

Going dark for the weekend. Don't forget to take the new, final movie thread title poll. If you have any concerns or complaints you can email me at eat@shit.com my profile addy. DC-istas, get your shovels ready. Enjoy the weekend, all.

Going dim for the next 2-1/2 weeks to pack, fix the condo for sale, and move. I'll probably be around a little bit, but not much.

Please join me in wishes for a rerun on 3/4....

I called my grandmother in the assisted-living home. She fell on Tuesday; this was Friday.

She didn't know who I was; I repeated my name over and over, and she finally got it on the tenth time. She said she was in so much pain she couldn't pay attention. She said the nurses weren't helping. I hung up and called my mother (Grandmother is in Texas; Mom's in Indiana, I'm in California.) Apparently the assisted-living people moved her to the supported-care area on Tuesday, and did nothing about her fall until Friday, when my mother beat them up sufficiently that she started therapy for the aftereffects of the fall. My mother is now going to call again and make sure that the increased pain medication recommended by my grandmother's doctor is actually given out.

And this is, believe it or not, a good assisted-living center.

Whatever you do, don't get old. (Grandmother needs to stay in Texas; that's where what remains of her social circle is. She has never lived in Indiana.)