It was mostly after 9/11 and some country guy had a hit version of "God Bless America" and it sort of swept the heartland as this dawning feeling of "Yeah, let's sing the America song with God right in the title."

Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA," which was actually a nice song before rabid jingoists adopted it in the spirit of I'm American, Everyone Else Fuck Off.

Happy Birthday Susan!

OMG, the Winter Classic is so much fun! There's the snow, the energy, the craziness! The only bummer is the delay for ice maintenance, but I guess I don't want the players to get hurt.

I tivoed the Rose Bowl parade and the Michigan game. This is a fun sports day.

OMG. I want to go home. I don't know how to go about doing that without hurting my mom's feelings.

I don't think there's any escape.

Avenge me, Buffistas. AVENGE ME.

How much longer are you supposed to be there?

Who has a hangover?

Not I, said the cat. (Name that book!) I had some champagne sparkling wine at midnight, which, despite the fact that *I* bought it and carefully read the description, was WAY too sweet for me. (Nowhere on the label did it say "asti," "sec," "demi-sec," or "extra dry." Although it also didn't say "brut," either.)

We're half-heartedly cleaning/organizing, and I'm contemplating putting on a second pair of socks.

I tivoed the Rose Bowl parade

My boss's daughter is in one of the high school marching bands in the parade -- Lakota West High School. Understandably, my boss is bursting with pride.

I never thought I'd say this, but I sort of miss the abundance of attractive people SoCal offers the eyes.

I notice that when I visit too. Trust me on this, Florida sun is no easier on the skin than ice and cold.

I'm sorry the visit is crazy making. Is there any way to escape by going on an errand, or escape into a book?

Yeah, SoCal is the only place I've run into a tree on the sidewalk because I was too busy ogling a barechested jogger. Florida and other beach-y places have pretty people on display too, but it's in locales where you're expecting to see them.

I need to go get a rental car. I usually can use my mom's car, but it's totally dead.

It's just, I forgot some of the horrid racist, sexist, and homophobic shit that comes out of some of my family member's mouths. And my nephew is starting to parrot it.

It's both heartbreaking and enraging. They're retarding his little brain with it.

And there's InAGaddaDaVida turned all the way to eleven with no place to go. I stood in the garage for a little while, and I feel a bit better.

Also? DONT THEY REALIZE I CAN PUT THIS ALL IN THE NEXT BOOK?

Whatevs. I'm here until the 12th.