I always find it weird when people (generally from America, I've found) call themselves 'Irish' or Italian'.

Often when it comes up that I'm half-French, most people ask what the other half is--when I say American, they get all confused.

But, like Kristin, I identify myself first and foremost as a New Englander since I was raised with that ethic, despite where my parents/grandparents were from.

I want Aimee to come over and sew with me!

Oh how I wish I had time for a long post on Southern identity! Alas, I am already behind this morning. Short version: We are deeply fucked up and that's why I love us.

ION, Leif Garrett was on the Today Show this morning.

He was wearing eyeliner. I choose to take credit for that.

You have a minion now! Make her go get you something!!!!!

The minion is sleeping. Sleeping minions won't fetch coffee.

That's when you press the button that activates the remote-control shock-collar.

What?

I'm so sorry, Hil. Don't beat yourself up too much.

Sleeping minions won't fetch coffee.

That's so profound. Or maybe I need more coffee. Or more minions.

Poor Hil--Looks like it's time to get a more annoying alarm clock, and set it up across the room, so you have to get up to turn it off.

Well, lovely. Just lovely.

I have no power. And, since I'm stealing wireless from a neighbor, I tend to think it's not an outage. And if it's a billing issue, I can't deal with it, because the bill is in my landlord's name. And my landlord isn't at work, and his office won't give me his cell number.

Grrrrr...

What Robin said, Hil, has worked for me.

I get "are you Irish?" more often than, "what's your ethnicity?" and I will claim to be 1/2 Irish to end the conversation quickly. Otherwise I'll admit I'm a mutt, less than half Irish, plus German, Hungarian and Romanian. On March 17th I feel Irish. At Oktoberfest I feel German. On Halloween I try to mention casually that my Romanian forebears were from Transylvania. So yeah. American. Very American.

Adorable costume pics, Aimee.