vw, please tell me that awful woman had the decency to look sheepish or embarrassed.

Actually, no. She went on to blame it on my shirt, which felt like a nice kick in the pants on my fashion skills.

The worst group of people to figure out a check at a restaurant: a mix of professional physicists, astronomers and mathematicians. Their kingdom for an english or history major! (OK, so not really that bad but still. )

OMG! This is so true. Bill time while eating out with CBD and his friends (mathematicians and computer scientists) gives me an ulcer. I always pray that the restaurant included the gratuity.

Apparently if it doesn't involve whining until other people's ears bleed, it doesn't count as effective.

This is so ridiculous. The power of behavior modification is strong, and anyone working with children, etc. really need to know how to do that. Blech. I’m so sorry, WS.

If this is the way she thinks is appropriate to talk to people with developmental disabilities, can you imagine how stultifyingly shaming she is to her family?

Oh this just makes me sick to my stomach, and reminds me of the other evil thing that parent did last night. She was running an exercise class for kids, and afterwards she asked me how I do what I do, because she just doesn’t have the patience, and she has no idea how she’s going to get through the next five weeks DOING THIS THING THAT SHE VOLUNTEERED TO DO.

So sorry for the insomniacs!

Oh, how annoying, Barb!

OMG, I slept. Like 8 hours of good sleep. I know I woke up at least once but was able to drop back into sleep. And I don't feel "foggy" this morning. I only took half a pill last night but I think I'm in love.

She was running an exercise class for kids, and afterwards she asked me how I do what I do, because she just doesn’t have the patience, and she has no idea how she’s going to get through the next five weeks

I'd pay good money for a time machine so you could go back and tell her, "Having actual social skills really helps. You should look into it," in a really pleasant, friendly tone of voice.

I'd pay good money for a time machine so you could go back and tell her, "Having actual social skills really helps. You should look into it," in a really pleasant, friendly tone of voice.

Oh, I should have! Instead, I actually gave her tips. Because I'm ridiculously nice. It's kind of sad, actually.

Barb, do you have some sort of poking device?

Morning, all. I am back at work, and feeling more or less better.

Barb, do you have some sort of poking device?

Nothing that'll make a different Nora. The way these smoke alarms are designed, they run on batteries, but they're also wired into the electrical system. When the batteries get low, the alert will continue beeping.

No, when Lewis gets home this afternoon, we'll have to get the big-ass ladder out of the garage and see if we can get to the sucker.

BTW-- glad you're feeling somewhat better.

I love it when I can tell Nora's a Friends fan.

Is it *still* beeping, Barb? I would be frantic by now. I hate noise like that.

Yep-- still beeping, about every 3-4 minutes. Strangely enough, it's easier to ignore now that I'm awake. I've got music playing through my desk speakers and it provides enough of a buffer that it's not really bothering me as much. It was in the dark, in the silence, when I wanted to be sleeping that it was a wee bit of an issue.

Of course, now that I have three cups of coffee in me and have started on my first Diet Coke of the day, we'll see how long the sucker lasts.

Uh oh. She's caffeinated now. Watch out, smoke alarm.

Barb, you have my sympathy. I once had to go out at 2am and get batteries for one of those smoke alarms. I applaud you being able to stay home. I would be losing my mind.

vw, I'm sorry about the asshat. You were so much nicer than I would have been.

I ended up getting a little more sleep last night, and my asthma is calming down. I have a benadryl hangover, and I'm trying to get over it before Mom gets here.