Uh oh, Consuela. That sounds unattractive!

That sounds unattractive!

Yeah, that's one word for it. But you know, I'm not bothered. I know I can find another job without too much angst, even if it means going back into the private sector. I would just rather not. OTOH, I'm so not moving to Virginia or Ohio (yes, those are two of the possibilities).

I'm having fun, though--I have a great view out my new window and the people are nice and B.org isn't blocked.

no plans except to get mac in bed as early as possible.

I woke up around 9 long enough to listen to a traffic report. I heard enough to convince myself that nobody would notice if I didn't go in. Got up at noon. Heard another traffic report where they said, "If you don't have to go somewhere, please stay home." Works for me. The office is technically open but there's no cafeteria service, no couriers, etc., so I'm guessing that only people with urgent deadlines are there.

Now I am having coffee. I guess I should go get dressed, clear off the car, and maybe do some laundry. Then I'm gonna start looking for a new job, because one way or another I'm getting off this project.

Tonight I will do dishes and watch FNL, although I'm tempted by the Jericho thing which is also on.

I've not seen Jericho, but I'm sure it doesn't hold a candle to FNL.

Can y'all tell my coworkers that there are things they can handle by themselves? That yes, I know they're busy, but I'm a little busy too-with a government report consisting of over 700 cases- so maybe, just maybe, instead of telling clients to come talk to me, they could take the 2 minutes to schedule the goddamned appointment themselves? A whack with a cluestick would also not be amiss.

If only we were to adopt the Japanese approach to snow removal....

PIKACHU SNOW PLOW, I CHOOSE YOU!

I just got a call that my college night class was canceled due to the blizzara that's taking a Squirtle shit on Pittsburgh today. So I went looking for some gaming art and stumbled upon this awesome Pikachu plow on the same site that I found the 3D gaming screen on in the past. This Pokemon machine is called Yuki-taro and weighs 880 pokepounds. It comes equipped with GPS instead of electrical attacks, and it has cameras in its eyes - creepy! Its self guided and devours the snow in your driveway all on its own, and then compresses it into hard blocks of ice around the size of a PS3 in measurements. The people at the Niigata Institute of Technology in Japan took seven years to design it, with the purpose of not only an alternative refrigeration method, but also to help the elderly deal with winter.

no plans except to get mac in bed as early as possible.

How did the finger thing turn out? I hope it wasn't anything bad. The problem with skipping and skimming is the not knowing how things turn out.

I've not seen Jericho, but I'm sure it doesn't hold a candle to FNL.

I've not seen FNL, but I'm completely sure you are correct.

Oooh, that's right; tonight is the Jericho clip-show! I hope there's a montage of Skeet putting his hands on top of his head.

Jessica, it may be a good thing, the gradual process of the move, no?

Also, it's *already* tonight!

And it is spent in trying to catch up on work before sitting down to properly solve the exam my students are taking tomorrow (the amusement park exam) so that I'll remember all the question for when they're stressing out in front of them.

Which will be followed by the greatest fun of all: grading.

More uplifting news. (I guess.)

Children make coffin for dying teacher

A Dutch primary school teacher who is dying of cancer is overseeing one last project among her beloved pupils - they are making a coffin for her.

Eri van den Biggelaar, 40, has just a few weeks left to live after being diagnosed last year with an aggressive form of cervical cancer. Always popular at school, she asked the arts and crafts teacher to build a casket for her.

'Why don't you let the children make it?' replied her colleague and woodwork teacher Erik van Dijk.

Now the youngsters, who normally plane wood for baskets and placemats, are putting the finishing touches to what will be the final resting place for Miss Biggelaar. The children have sawed more than one hundred narrow little boards and glued them together, and only the lid needs to be done now.

The coffin is standing in the middle of one of the classrooms. Some of the children play with it, climbing into it and pretending to be U-boat captains.

While Biggelaar is no longer able to work, she is keeping track of the coffins progress, looking at sketch plans and being kept up to date about it by pupils, aged between four and 11, who visit her at home.

She says: 'Life and death belong together. The children realised that when I explained it to them. I didn't want to be morbid about it, I wanted them to help me.'