We bought when we bought for one reason only, it was probably our only chance to buy a house in LA. And while it would never be my dream home, there's something comforting about living in the house where I grew up.

I've never appreciated my mother more than I have this year. Or I should say I never really understood the sacrifices she made for me and what a deep well of love she has for us.

Yes, this. It's one of the things I hold onto, especially whenever I find myself missing her. And I love that poem, too.

Much as I hate to admit it, when I first got the cat groomed, I hated the way it looked. This time, I think she's ADORABLE with her little lion cut. hee hee.

One of my cats got her head stuck in an empty kleenex box this evening. It was very amusing.

That make you feel better, Jesse?

Yes, thank you. I'm just hoping to have access to my files today.

And just for the record, jackhammers starting at 7am = not awesome. Today I'm glad I don't work from home.

I have to work too. Bah. Traffic was awesome, though.

Half-day for me. Late coverage. I don't have to be at work until 1:00pm. Why am I awake?

Oh earworm...really? "Sunglasses at night"? Corey Hart? Two days running? Really?

No...really?

My U. was off yesterday, through Monday. The library is open, however, every day but Sunday, and since I am a heretic, I am covering all of the days. I'll get to take them as comp days while we're in OBX at the beginning of April, so I'm trying not to feel sorry for myself. I've also got a shitload of work to do, so I am not really here.

The broker that got him the loans has since gone under and can't be found and we're trying to sue him and the original lender.

Aimee, I don't understand what your boss could sue for. The contract was read by his attorney, and he signed them, so he can't claim that the lender or broker didn't disclose, and your boss is in the business of acquiring real estate so he's not a naive first-time buyer.

Generally speaking*, I think along Allyson's line when it comes to people who bought houses they obviously couldn't afford. I'm sure it is, in part, because I scrimped, saved and sacrificed while we lived in Berkeley, had the cash for a down payment but still knew we couldn't afford the mortgage payments on our librarian/non-profit salaries for any house we'd actually want. It has now paid off, because we were able to put down 20% on a house inside the Beltway in MD and get a cheap, fixed-rate mortgage, but there were a lot of years where I wondered why I was punishing myself by constantly saying "no" to eating out, a new car, buying books, cable TV, the newest electronic gagets, vacations, etc. when it seemed like everyone around me was doing all those things and still buying a house.

• eta: I do have sympathy for some of the individuals caught up in the crisis, because I do think that certain fragile populations were given the hard sell -- seniors, non-English speakers, etc.

We can leave early today, but I have so much on my plate it's just not going to happen.

Or rather, it will probably happen, but I'll just be setting up from home as soon as I get back.