many thanks everyone - and Tucker says the same. Will keep you posted. She's a wonderful dog, who has been with us since she was about 3 weeks old. Sparky has made her breakfast - the family symbol of approval (as well as the family symbol of 'what? you forgot her dog food?'). Gah, I hate ticks. Both my mom and I have had Lyme's, so there is 55% more nature-foul factor.

ION my co-coder's girlfriend is home from the hospital - everything looks like it will be ok for her going forward

t- sorry for the bad customer service!

d - insent sometime later this morning, after I drop Iris off.

Poor Tucker - although I imagine she suffered less than you and Tom did by the experience.

We're having new furniture delivered today sometime between 2-8 p.m. The new house does not have the Internet, yet. I will have no excuse not to unpack boxes while I wait (and wait and wait and wait).

Glad that your co-coder's gf is doing better. ~ma for beth's friend.

So tired. But, only one more class till the end of the semester!

Arrgh! I am all pissed off. I try not to talk about work too much but I just had this guy in my office asking me to *break the law* (on videotape). He was crying and trying to make me feel guilty about stuff that is not my fault.

Wow, Stephanie, what a manipulative butthead. In your shoes, after a certain threshold of weeny-whinging had been reached, I would find a little enjoyment out of thwarting him. You appear to be a better person than I, feeling bad because you are (not the cause but perhaps) the agent of someone else's bad feelings.

Yay for good news from Sox's co-coder's gf. Good news is always welcome here.

Well, normally in that situation, I act dumb and ask people to be more clear (since they never are). This time, I finally asked him if he cared about his children so much, why would he ask me to risk my ability to take care of my children for him?

Yikes, Stephanie!

I cut my run short this morning by almost 1/2 mile. Bad me, no biscuit! But I am hurting this morning. For Thursday's run I think I'll go to the gym and not do it outside.

...so, I need to not be indulging in wistful/lecherous/romantic/hopeful fantasy thoughts about my former academic daughter. Whom I've not seen since we were at University. Whom I never actually slept with, other than in a strictly literal spooning USTy sense. Who's just posted to facebook that she's separating from her husband. Who has kids, for God's sake (despite the fact that she will always be jailbait to me).

Yes. Because I'm fairly sure that this is not a helpful response.

Good one, Stephanie.

Fay, why not have a little fun fantasizing? Unless it really hurts to come back to reality.

Alpha-bits.

So I had a bunch of apples that we got back in September, and some strawberries that have been in the freezer forever, plus blueberries and blackberries that had been in the freezer just a few months. Pealed and cut up the apples, dumped 'em in a pot with the berries, a bit of water, a nice glob of honey, and a splash of lemon juice. Is this fruit soup or cheesecake topping?