(Swooping in after skipping upteen posts from the past 10 days)

Hi, everyone!!

Just got back from a week in Florida (near Clearwater), with stops at Savannah/Beaufort, GA on the way down, and Washington DC on the way back. Loads of fun was had, and Mom only made one reference to my weight while I was there, although I could see her biting her tongue in DC when I had problems keeping up. (I do know I have to get in better shape, which is my goal this year, so maybe the two of us can go out at Christmastime and do some stuff without her wanting to comment.)

Anyway, recommendations for anyone making a similar journey: South Carolina is a very nice state, wth a wonderful state Artisans Center in Walterboro where I wanted to spend all my money on various gorgeous carved-wood and pottery pieces (but restricted myself to a wood ornament and two small pottery pieces). Also, Beaufort is a pretty little historic town with a great restaurant right on the river whose name I can't remember other than it was "[Something] River Grill." Savannah was loaded with tourists, even on a Tuesday, but the trolley tour gives a nice overview of the city. Oh, and if you're on I-95 in the middle of the state and need a place to eat, I highly recommend Clark's in Santee--we pulled in there for dinner on Monday night, and had a great meal in a wonderfully quiet and elegant setting (my idea of road food includes teriyaki glazed chicken, locally brewed beer, and bread pudding for dessert!).

DC is its usual great city (my favorite one in the US outside of Chicago), and the Quincy Hotel is a wonderful place to say between Foggy Bottom and Dupont Circle. Mom and I took one of those twilight tours of various monuments on Tuesday night, and then went to the American Indian museum yesterday--well worth the three hours we spent there.

Just pray that you don't get stuck behind an accident as you're trying to get out of Baltimore on the way north--it took us over an hour to drive less than 10 miles last night. Ugh.

Now we get to relax for the next two days before I fly home on Saturday morning.

I got a BlackBerry! It's shiny (literally and figuratively) and pink (only literally). Actually, more mauve than pink -- I wouldn't have bought it if it were a really pink pink. Now I can eliminate several steps from the "Look for calendar, find calendar, realize I'm not where I'm supposed to be, check email, find address of place where I'm supposed to be, look for phone book, find phone book, find number of place where I'm supposed to be, look for phone, find phone, call place where I'm supposed to be to tell them I'm going to be late" process.

OMG, every time my boss starts talking, I have to restrain myself from yelling, "Just shut up! SHUT UP! SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!!!"

6.5 days left.

Jesse makes me laugh. Yell inside your head.

Or wait until it's only .25 days left. Then say it.

I am yelling inside my head. It makes my head hurt.

I think adults are a miracle.

I have pictures of myself as a toddler with pots and pans strewn about the kitchen floor, banging two of them together like cymbals. My mom has been a longtime victim of excruciating migraines.

I'm very thankful that the adoption process is so long and convoluted that pitching me out in favor of a quieter replacement wasn't feasible.

I'm very thankful that the adoption process is so long and convoluted that pitching me out in favor of a quieter replacement wasn't feasible.

That and they lost the receipt.

Message for shrift:

I managed to chat with Jilli last night after she got back from the show.

She met some of the band. There's more, but I'll let Jilli tell you the details. You may very well want Jilli to surrender her top layer of skin.

I think we have some folks around here who'll appreciate this: Ask a Reference Librarian".