Oy. I have four adolescent boys in my house. One of whom belongs to me. Another, I suspect, is crushing on Abby, since he insists on hanging out and playing DS exclusively with her.

Oh sweet merciful heavens. I need a nap.

Jilli, have you received your package with the line edits yet?

I have! At first, semi-caffeinated, glance it seems not terrifying. But I'm not really going to look at it or start working on it until tomorrow. Today is Gothy Upkeep day, yes indeedy. Hair dye and nail polish await me.

I am sitting in a public meeting in a Sheraton in San Diego. On a Saturday. And it's kind of interesting but I don't know anyone here and ... bah. OTOH, I had a lovely dinner last night with an LJ friend in the Gaslamp District.

I have run errands, got my nails done, caught up on some TV and filled up a big trash bag with paper -- literally months worth of mail. Phew! Mostly right now, I'm obsessed with my nail color, which is a gorgeous dark red. I've had it on my toes for a while, and now I have it on my hands!

Do you know the brand and colour of that polish, Jesse? I'd love a good dark red. It's been an age.

Me, I'm showered and bathed. And ready for a nap. Didn't get much sleep last night (for no fun reason, so get your mind out of the gutter). But I'm wearing my tights with the Oriental dragon climbing my shin, which always cheers me up. And one of my shortest skirts which helps too.

I do! It's Essie Clutch Me If You Can, I believe.

I'm in the SJC airport, catching a flight home in a half hour.

I cried like an idiot last night. All the leftover stress from the symposium planning and finishing the book hit me at the same time I realized that I would likely never see a lot of the people I met ever again. Lovely bunch of physicists from all over the world.

Other people at the retreat center kept asking me if I was a physicist, and what in the world metrology is. I think maybe it is a little odd to go on vacation and walk into a room with 40 physicists playing table tennis, pool, and hauling ass down to the beach with surfboards.

One couple asked me to "point out the physicists" in the room, which was way fun for me. "The hot guys playing pool? All physicists. The beautiful young woman reading by the fire? Physicist. The crazy guy double-fisting two bottles of wine and speaking french with an italian accent? Physicist."

A happy note: about 10% of the attendees were women, and I think that the same conference seven years ago had none.

Dude. Beginning to think I should stalk physicist conferences.

Home is going to feel good, Allyson.

I went out and got a pedicure. Second in my life. No idea why I decided that was a to-do this weekend, but it was.

Only other customer getting one was a tall mid 40s tough guy. Who was clearly a regular, because he and the tech were catching up on each others' kids. He's had more pedicures in the past year that I ever! Funny.

I really, really have been craving a milkshake. But milk/ice cream is a digestive bomb for me. But I got soy milk, frozen strawberries, tossed in some plain yogurt and a banana and YUM. HAS MILKSHAKE. If I want a chocolate one, I have hot chocolate powder somewhere. And it's a nice benefit that it is probably good for me.

There was a car with a license plate that read MM DNUTS. I guess he really likes donuts.