Congratulations, Fay! That's wonderful news! Now don't go snacking on the chocolate I sent you in celebration. That would be counter-productive. Save it for a celebration that doesn't involve weight. I am so impressed with your fortitude.

No worries, love! It's still in the freezer (along with a box of what I strongly suspect to be the only sugar free chocolate in Thailand) and it is an excellent thing to have there for "in case of emergency". Stood me in good stead when I was grocery shopping and found the entire place to be wall-to-wall valentine's chocolates, because I said to myself: "Self, you do not need to buy any of these chocolates, because there is chocolate in your freezer right now, aifg. So if you still really need chocolate when you get home, you can have a piece of fairly-low-carb yummy goodness." (And by the time I got home, I was no longer tempted, and all was well!)

Also, I am erika wrt Valentine's Day. Excepting only the fact that I've never been dating anyone long enough to break up on Valentine's Day. (However, I did get a card from one of my kids this morning, with Word Art stuff on the front [we learned about it yesterday] and a pop up heart reading "I like you you are very good teacher". So that was nice.)

eta

t arrogant bitchcowfromhell

Meanwhile, a moment to vent my inner crapitude: I went to the first rehearsal of the tiny wee playlet I'm in for the Fringe last night. It was fun. I have about four lines, playing a mousy wee frump. Mostly, I am being (sincerely) supportive and cheerleadery for my friend, who got cast in the main part, and who's only been in one thing before, and who will be very good once she's got her head round it, and understands the character, and got over the nervousness. She will kick ass and be hilarious - she's just going to need some support to get there, but she'll be fantastic. But, see, the thing is that - I already can do her part. I could totally do this - I already get it, I understand it, I could be hilarious, goddamn it. But she is tall and slim and pretty, and I am short and fat. So I have been cast as the mousy middleaged frump with four lines.

This makes me sad and jealous, even at the same time as being sincerely chuffed for her, and sincerely supporting the hell out of her.

Anyway, I also went to audition for a production of Neil Simon's Rumors that's going to be playing in May. But the competition was very stiff, damn it, and there are only 4 decent-sized roles for women, whereas there were considerably more than 4 very good actresses. On the bright side, though, they're having callbacks, and I was invited to that. Which is great. I just - I really do want this, you know? It'll be so much easier to be the best friend I can be for this wee show in The Fringe if I know I've got a proper part to look forward to. Because I am petty. (Also, I'm really enjoying thinking about how much weight I can have lost by the end of May! Since I looked like The Bride Of Mr Staypuft in A Christmas Carol.)

t /arrogant bitchcowfromhell

I had the pinot nior, what variety did you try?

I've had the red, whichever that one is. I'm a bad wine drinker. Then again, one of my prime deciding points is "Does it come in a box?"

there are some pretty decent boxed wines available. It's a great option if you can't finish a bottle in two days because the bag keeps the wine from turning.

Annabel story:

Annabel's new daycare teacher gives the kids weekly assignments: line leader, person in charge of turning lights on and off, etc. Last week Annabel was the weather reporter. Every day she'd tell us about the weather, something that continued into the weekend.

Monday the assignments changed. Annabel is the line leader now, and Olivia is the weather reporter. Annabel now refuses to have an opinion on the weather. Comment on how it's warmer than it's been in awhile or say that it's windy or raining, and she earnestly tells you that Olivia is weather reporter now. Yesterday when I was driving her home, NPR played a story from its Climate Connections series on the Norte Chico civilization of ancient Peru, and I said, "Listen, Annabel! They're starting a story about what the weather was like a long time ago." (This was before I caught on that weather is now a forbidden topic.) She was so long and voluble in her protestations that Olivia is weather reporter now, and she has a different job, and weather was just so last week for her that I didn't get to actually hear the story.

This, I suppose, is where whoever told me that the day would come when I'd wish Annabel would be quiet gets to say "I told you so."

Happy birthday, Kristin and Maria!

Awwww, I love the Annabel-refuses-to-tell-the-weather story!

hmm... my Healthy Choice entree's dessert (peaches) seems to be flavored with whiskey. "Whiskey with salt" is listed in the ingredients but nowhere (else) on the box does it indicate an alcohol-flavored sauce on my peaches. It's delicious but seems irresponsible to me. What if a recovering alcoholic unwittingly ate this?

Laga, I was out with a friend and he ordered pecan pie, and we had to send it back becasue after one bite he was like "there's alcohol in this and I need you to take it away from me".

yeah I just emailed the company. If I can save one person a trip back to rehab it'll be worth it.

The Post is calling VA for Obama. Is it a little early? Polls just closed...

Last I heard 42% of the precincts were reporting, and it was 60% Obama, 30% Clinton. Presumably the other 10% went to the other names on the ballot, including Richardson, Edwards, etc.

The Republican side was a lot closer between McCain and Huckabee, mainly because all the parts of VA that will secede if Obama's elected voted for Huckabee.

MD extended their polling hours due to weather.

And I still can't figure out super delegates. It's like our entire system is designed to throw as many obstacles in the way of the popular vote as possible.

They've also called DC, based on apparently no returns and no exit polls. Maybe they got the Washington State Republican Party to handle it?