WHY do people do this? My mother still pulls this when I'm visiting, despite 18 years of getting a very bad reaction from me. Hello, do you really want to meet the cranky sleep monster who'll bite your head off and go bowling with it? Just like the last time?

Heh. Last year when my Grandmother died and the whole extended family was spending the night in one house piled on couches and air mattresses and one another my Mother walked over and asked her pre-coffee no-privacy eldest child (a.k.a. "me") to tie. her. shoe. (Since I was on my air mattress on the floor and could easily reach it)

I literally growled at her.

I'm not proud of this. Its not for nothing that my Mother doesn't bend over well and it would SEEM reasonable to ask me to tie it because I was sitting right there but, dude, thirty some years of knowing me and you're asking not only for human interraction but small motor controlls after a night on a shared air mattress? She must have been mad with grief.

(Her sister backed her away slowly and did the tying. She spoke softly to me. She offered coffee. Gooood Aunt. TWO cookies!)

I went for the Risotto w/ mushrooms, asparagus, tomatoes and Pecorino.

I started with a garlic and black truffle soup, also with Pecorino and with toasted bread crumbs.

Nom nom nom.

Of course, now I have breath almost a lethal as ita's pinkie. My cow-orkers will love me.

I am jealous of Frank. My lunch plans went awry when I got to the car and realized I was shaking. So I got McDonald's. And Cheetos.

Oh, Frank, that sounds soooo good!

I get to wait to have lunch until after my 1:00 dentist appointment, during which I get a filing replaced and a front tooth bonded. Yay.

I'll be grocery shopping afterwards, and I'm debating if I'll go to the Trader Joe's or Jewel (plain old big grocery store). I can get more things at Jewel, but I can get cooler things at TJ! A quandary, but I'm in the mood for some yummy cheese, which I'm sure I can get at TJ better than Jewel.

I had a turkey club for lunch. but I am not Lee.

So far, I think Frank wins at lunch.

I MAY be slightly obsessive about this,

Nonsense. Where the books go is an essential part of moving planning. Have you figured out how many book-feet you have?

Robin, we have made extremely creative use of IKEA bookcases, including a lot of DVD racks wrapping around corners. Would you have room for some of those?

My meeting got rescheduled for this afternoon. I guess my awesome mental powers are waning.

My meeting got rescheduled for this afternoon. I guess my awesome mental powers are waning.

still got some mojo, tho. could have been rescheduled for this morning