I broke my diet yesterday and had half+ a red velvet cupcake. You know who has major willpower? paperdol.

But wasn't it your birthday? Birthday cupcake exception to the diet MUST be made.

My diet right now consists entirely of NOT getting cheese fries every time I'm at the pool. It's really freaking hard.

This just in:

• the kitchen table is in pieces (on purpose). There are no parking spaces on my street, or else I would have moved the car close enough to put the pieces in the car.

• all my boxes are in the kitchen, and it's suddenly clear that a van would not have been big enough (good thing I went for the 10-foot truck, although I think that's too big).

• it is 85d inside the house.

• I am very very sweaty. Not in a felicitous way.

You would think I am the one moving first, but you would be wrong. The Flatmates are closing on their condo as we speak, and moving on Monday, and I am getting my packing out of the way so that I can facilitate their panic over the weekend. (I am moving Tuesday.)

Is it *really* just under 5 hours or is it more like 8?

The train to Chicago has been on-time for me very reliably. The train from Chicago back to Ann Arbor? I'd estimate arriving at least an hour later than what Amtrak tells you.

How'd the baking turn out, ita?

Pretty well. The recipe is sweeter than I like, and unclear on one point (Jessica--did you end up reserving some of the spice mixture for the icing?). I do read through recipes before I prepare them, but I didn't read through the icing recipe until I'd finished the cake itself.

Now to have breakfast of cream-cheese frosted spice cake.

Envy me.

The train to Chicago has been on-time for me very reliably.

Awesome. So I should arrive there around noon?

Ah! You're making what we call tomato soup cake!

It's got a richer taste than carrot cake (and doesn't have the texture issues).

Icing is powdered sugar, margarine and cream cheese, I think.

I have Vampire People in my purse.

Giant purse or tiny people?

Can someone link me to the spicecake recipe? I'm wondering if it can be de-cowified.

Nutty, better to be over-trucked than under-vanned! Also, my Forester, which has more cargo space than you might think, is at your disposal for at least part of the weekend. (I'm booked for Sat afternoon/evening.) This would include today if you can get into the new place so soon....

Awesome. So I should arrive there around noon?

On the 351 Wolverine? Yeah, noonish.

I think trains leaving Chicago yield to incoming traffic.

Giant purse or tiny people?

Maybe after they've been turned to ash.