{{{{GG}}}} Yeah, it's a lot to think about. I'm so sorry.

So update on the whole recommendation letter debacle: as of this morning, my colleague has not even opened the email I sent her yesterday (we have a nifty "history" feature on internal emails, so I would be able to see if she had), which tells me that she is gravely ill.

Luckily, my department head was online, so I sent her an email explaining the situation and begging her to save me. She wrote me a rec for something else last year, so she would just have to modify it rather than writing something brand new. It's not ideal since she had already written a rec for the other person in my department applying for this same program, but...I don't know what else to do at this point.

She emailed me right back and said that she understood and would get it to me by Monday. I wish this hadn't happened like this, but at least I still have a chance. I'll just have to run out and priority mail the sucker during the school day. Not perfect, but still a relief.

{{{{{KT}}}}}

I'm glad you were able to find someone else suitable to write the letter; however, it must be so frustrating as the other colleague would offer such a unique perspective.

I was checking the online banking site today, figuring how little we could send to the landlord. All of sudden, there were way too many digits to the left of the decimal point. I looked at the details, and there it was, the Social security lump sum payment.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, your federal government does do things right occasionally. A month after the hearing, we have our settlement. A nice lump sum is now ours for telling various bill collectors to go to hell, to pay back people who have been supremely generous to us when needed help, to send out some good karma instead of us having to draw on it. On top of that, there will be monthly payments pretty sufficient to deal with regular bills in addition to my income.

I'm trying very hard to think "Yes, this is the culmination of years of effort" rather than "oh, great, something good, where's that other shoe," but that's my own neuroses at work. All in all, it's a good day at Chez Neil.

Kristin, I'm glad that you were able to find a solution to the problem.

Connie, it's good to know that the federal government is finally doing the right thing for you and your husband.

TCG's car is in the shop again. They're not positive about what is wrong with it, but they think it might be the water pump. (I think. I suck at remembering car stuff).

Oh, Kristin. How frustrating. I hope it all works out.

Connie, that's great news! Yay!

I'm at study group and have a rare connection. I come check in and you people only have five posts since I left home four hours ago. Crazy slow day.

A little ~ma for Toto would not be amiss. I had to call the vet this morning about something, and she said he needs to be seen before she can see him on Monday morning. So, after study group and picking mom and dad up at the airport I'm gonna take the poor little guy to the ER. Here's to hoping it's just a UTI as we suspect.

Dog~ma for Toto. Poor little guy.

Connie, that's great news! I'm very happy for you. And yes, it's about damn time.

Poor Toto! I hope he's okay!

The saga continues...now the original person has left a message saying she's better and will write the letter. Oy.

I feel really badly, actually, because before I figured out something was probably wrong, I yelled at him. I didn't mean to, but I had just gotten out of the shower, and ugh. My poor couch.

I'm sure he'll be fine, but I'm all worried mom right now and wishing I'd figured this out a few days ago so I wasn't paying the extra $75 to take him to the ER.

I am very sad that Girl Guides don't sell biscuits.

Of course, that means more thin mints for us.

Meanwhile, I am once again failing to download the most recent version of itunes. Dial-up sucks. And if I can never download a newer version of itunes than what I have - I will NEVER be able so synch my nano with my home computer. So frustrating.

slept in. Yay. Felt good. Woke up to find the Adventures of Young Indiana Jones doesn't seem to be on anymore. DVR recorded a thing on history of cookies. Seems rather fitting with recent discussion. And yes, they did talk about the Girl Scout cookies.