The biggest advantage of living on a boat is that when the zombie apocalypse comes, you can flee the city in your boat.

DawnK was living on a boat. Not sure if she still is.

I'd love to live somewhere scenically movable somewhere else, but I suspect it might be something I'd just never get around to.

I understand that one of the big disadvantages of living on a boat is that in the winter you get cold. Really, really cold (unless you live someplace it doesn't get cold, in which case ... never mind).

Well, if you're lucky enough to have a job where you can work at home, you can just relocate your boat south for the winter.

Here in Chicago, the marinas pull all the boats out of the water for the winter, so you'd need to have some alternate residence for half the year.

Me too. Plus my poor kitty never gets to lay in the sun.

Exactly! I feel so guilty that Amarna doesn't get her patch of sunlight to bask in, which she so enjoyed out in Oak Park.

I was just telling my boss about my number crunching of last night, when I laid out a Five Year Plan for my budget. If nothing expensive happens, if I keep both of my jobs, and if everything works out, I will have my car paid off 19 months early and might be able to afford to buy a townhouse by May 2013, sooner if I downgrade how much townhouse I'm looking at.

Of course, I'm already looking around to see what's out there in my very wide price range (why do I do this to myself when I can't afford to buy for 4-5 years?!?), and I'm liking what I see at the top end (naturally!). 3BR/2BA with attached garage and a nice view of the local landscape (usually a pond or park) from the patio/balcony. Low end is more like 2BR/1BA with no view at all.

Happy Birthday, Frank.

I'm glad you are well, Shir.

Poor Noah.

I suppose I should feel lucky that Matilda's regularly scheduled well-child visit last week was only a hair under two hours...yet, somehow, I don't.

HA! I know. Plus if there are any immunizations (and YES I vaccinate my kid, in spite of the anti-vaccine info out there) it's an extra 20 minutes while we wait to see if he reacts.

Mammograms don't freak me out, conceptually. But I have never had one. I am turning 36 this year.

HOWTO make a D12 handbag

Here's how to make a dodecahedral handbag using fabric, iron-on numbers, a couple of washers and a magnet.

My biggest objection to underground living would not be the occasional catastrophic flood so much as the fact that in my experience, the lower your living space is, the more vermin find their way into it. I would not care to test that principle with a home that they could slide or fall into effortlessly.

stressy stressy day at work. not me, but it is around me. keeping my head down. pretending I don't hear things.