Ok, at some point in the near future, we need to find a tree surgeon, or something like that. Enormous grandmother elm tree in the back yard has one huge widowmaker. That's what Daniel calls a dead branch waiting to drop off onto someone's head. Also there are power lines very near it. Yellowpages.com gives me no love under the key words "tree surgeon" and I can't think what else to look up. Any hints?

We call them widowmakers too. Maybe the power company would cut out the branch. They sometimes do that here.

Erin, I hope the events of the day made an impression on the remaining students. May it get easier, sweety.

Possibly call a local greenhouse to find out who's around?

Or a Little League team with a couple of strong pitchers?

Arborist.

GC, Momo is adorable, and she looks SO MUCH like our Seamus! Also, I don't think there's a thing wrong with changing your minds about the MiL's ticket. If I were DW's mom, I'd be thrilled by the offer of $350 towards my ticket as a Chirstmas gift. You two are the only ones who will feel badly about not being able to pay it all, and that's just silly. She'll never know that was even an option, you generous soul, you.

Ginger, ick on the mosquitoes. Man, I miss a lot about the east, but not those. Also, you and Calli and Barb and anyone else in the path of storms/tornadoes--stay safe!

Oh, Erin, honey, I'm so sorry. That just sucks. It's so hard starting at a new school and having to run the asshole-student gauntlet. Hang in there. You'll have them wrapped around your finger in no time. In the meantime, just remind them that you're one of those teachers who truly cares about her students and is pretty damned cool to boot. Torturing you is only shooting themselves in the foot. They'll figure it out sooner or later. {{{{{Erin}}}}}

meara, sorry your friend couldn't make it. I completely know what you mean about needing someone else around to motivate you to get stuff done.

I'm sad to hear about Del Martin. And Brenda, I'm also hopeful about Michelle Obama's appearance at the GLBT luncheon.

Kristin, are you feeling any better? Are you doped to the gills?

Thanks for asking, Hec. I'm feeling better because of the massive amounts of Vicoden and ibuprofen in my system at the moment, but it's beginning to wear off. I need to take some more Vicoden shortly. Oddly, I don't feel doped up in the least. The pain has been so intense that all the morphine overnight and Vidoden now has done is take the edge off.

Why are girly parts so freaking annoying?

A question for the ages. Seeing my ovaries choked with cysts in the ultrasounds again made me want to cry. It was bad enough when they were just a sign of my infertility in years past, but now they actually scare me. I really don't want to go through this again.

Uh oh. I didn't mean to kill the thread with my ovaries.

{{Kristin}} Honey, I hope you feel better soon. I'm glad you have decent drugs, but when it just takes the edge off? That sucks.

{{{{{{Erin}}}}}} I am so so sorry about today. Those kids suck and you, unfortunately, have to deal with them. Which sucks even more.

You know, I quite like teaching stuff. I'm not so big on the supervising and scolding thing. That gets old.

Oh, my, yes yes yes yes.

Erin that sucks.

Kristin I'm really sorry you're having to deal with this on top of everything else.

I almost fell out when I saw my utility bill -- $280!!! for one month! And I knew they were raising the rates, but based on what the previous months bills have been at my new location (the City has a look up) that's nearly $100 more. Then I found fees I was told I wouldn't be charged. I'm call the City tomorrow.

Friday Mom and I are going to see the nephew! I was going alone but my SIL is going to go shoot the wedding on Saturday (2 weeks after her C section!) and they'll be gone for about 15 hours and didn't want any 1 person to be stuck with Evan, so we're going to be tag teaming.

And I have a sweet and kinda sad story relating to my cousin, J, who passed away in June (and was a massage therapist) Our Aunt B has been having unexplained leg pains and she had her youngest grandson over (this is my older cousin's youngest boy), he's about 6. He asked if her legs were hurting and then said "Sit down and I'll rub them." so he started rubbing her legs and then he looked up and said "When I grow up I want to be a massage therapist."

I got all sniffly when I heard that.

Crappity - chipped a tooth. Now I gotta hustle and figure out my dental coverage claim form crap. I am so dental phobic, this SUCKS. I already found a dentist, basically just grabbed a name off the provider list and "lucked out" with a 7am appt tomorrow. Oh f*cking joy.