Weirdass dreams and I woke up early. Strange.

I really don't get insurance billing. I know I owe someone something, but I don't know who or how in the hell it came to that number. Well, I can figure out parts, but not what the final number has to do with the initial number. So weird. I'll wait for a real bill, I guess.

Is there anywhere other than the standard travel places (Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz,...) that one should look for nifty cruises (optimally including Brazil) at the very start of a search?

If people are recommending cruise lines, I'd like to mention Princess. They cruise all over the world, and we've looked at Brazil (including one cruise up the Amazon). Style varies by ship -- our first cruise was early in December, and the passengers skewed heavily to the older side (grandparents and great-grandparents) who acknowledged that age brings limitations after a certain point but that doesn't mean you can only sit around all day. Our second cruise was early in January with a heavy English and Scottish contingent, and the atmosphere tended more toward "spring break for the middle-aged British."

Passengers do need to dress up for a couple of dinners, but the style is generally pretty informal.

The idea of a carnivorous kangaroo freaks me right out.

This brought back to mind one of Janet Kagan's stories in Mirabile, titled "The Return of the Kangaroo Rex."

Excellent stories, well written, and funny. Pity there aren't more.

ita!!! In case you forgot, it's your mom's birthday today!

(I know this because it's my mom's birthday today, too.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ita'S MOM!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPH'S MOM!

Thank you being born so you can have these two great weemen!!

OK, I have looked at the fursuit show vid, which has some good workmanship, and entirely reminds me why I find the Disney Characters at Disneyland so creepifying.

However, one of the fursuiters, the guy in the baseball Tiger costume was especially obnoxious. I'm betting he's the most likely to have tattooed stripes on his actual body. :: shudders ::

ugh. morning.

ugh. morning.

Uh huh. t hunches over coffee cup

Thanks, Teppy. I'm so zonked, I needed the reminder.

Hallmark has these cards that say something like "A daughter is a gift whose worth cannot be measured except by the heart."

I know they're a card to give to a daughter, but I liked the sentiment so much (plus am obnoxious) that I had to send it to mother mine.

"A daughter is a gift whose worth cannot be measured except by the heart."

I dare you to write below that, "Measure me with your heart, dammit!!"