I'm watching World's Most Romantic Bedrooms and am dying of the Big Green Mean Envy.

The dog's dinner

That's actually not a good demonstration sentence, because "The dog is dinner" is a valid, if icky, sentence.

Edit: Hubby rightly corrected me that the "if icky" does not apply to those with a preference for the traditional Asian tastes.

I love you people. I have saved Fay's post because I am totally going to use it to teach my seniors how to use apostrophes. They will love the salty talk, yes they will.

And now, MY chance to be didactic!

My favorite joke being "even the Statue of Liberty has turned her back on Jersey" (she faces Europe to greet the immigrants sailing into the harbor).

Actually, the Statue of Liberty was created as a symbol of French/American friendship during the revolution and shared ideals about republic democracy, and its association to immigration didn't come until later. The sculptor, Bartholdi, was horrified when he learned that an immigration center (Ellis Island) was going to go next to his shiny statue. In her fantastic essay "More Than Just A Shrine: Ellis Island," Mary Gordon writes the following:

By the 1880’s, the facilities at Castle Garden had grown scandalously inadequate. Officials looked for an island on which to build a new immigration center, because they thought on an island immigrants could be more easily protected by swindlers and quickly transported to railroad terminals in New Jersey. Bedloe’s Island was considered, but New Yorkers were against the idea of a "Babel" ruining their beautiful new treasure, "Liberty Enlightening the World." The statue’s sculptor, Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, reacted to the prospect of immigrants landing next to his masterpiece in horror; he called it a "monstrous plan." So much for Emma Lazarus.

For those who don't know Emma Lazarus, she's the one who wrote the famous "Give me your tired your poor" poem that was mounted on the statue later. This was an early lesson I used in my senior English seminar. I could go on, but I'm going to stop now.

JZ, surviving a pukefest is worthy of a drink. Poor Matilda. I hope she's none the worse for wear.

Oh, poor JZ! Poor Matilda! Let me pass this nice cherry vodka tonic through the interwebs...

Oh, poor Matilda-- and definitely poor JZ. That's definitely worthy of a soothing something or other.

Aww, poor JZ, and poor Matilda.

Aw, poor Matilda and Mama. I hope she is feeling better!

So, my gut is (slowly) healing but now I have a cold. Trying not to cough and sneeze as it FUCKING HURTS! I thought I'd be back at work tomorrow (surgery was last Monday), but it ain't happening. I can't imagine driving and sitting down all day (I must have access to a bed somewhat frequently). Thank God my boss is really really really cool. I'd actually really like to go to work and be normal again.

ETA: ~ma to Theodosia's mom and to Theo herself.

If I wasn't me, I would have to marry me for tonight's mushroom risotto

I spent today having Christmas with the family. Delayed because this is when my brother, SIL, and Cutest Nephew EVER! were here.

BTW, if you hadn't guessed -- my nephew is still cute!!! And eating solid foods. That boy likes his bananas and oatmeal. Seriously no "here comes the airplane" stuff he started fussing as soon as he swallowed and the spoon wasn't there.

So he's cute. And long. And I got a couple discs with pictures, a framed picture, and a mug with his picture. The mug is going to work with me where all can see his adorableness and tremble before it.

And there were other stuff. Plus my brother and SIL were extoling the virtues of the Wii so as soon as I can find one it will be mine. All mine!