Is this why my car has a shovel in it?

I figured the reason for the shovel is closely tied to the reason for the body bags.

Damn iPhone. Didn't even see that one.

One of my students today, out of nowhere, asked me what ethnicity I am. This is something like the third time this week that someone's asked me that.

I'm watching a show about a family traveling around the country in an RV. They've got four kids, who they're homeschooling. It looks kind of interesting. I'm kind of trying to figure out the logistics, though. There was one week when they were selling fireworks in a parking lot. They said that they usually don't do that, but needed to get some money that week. I'm trying to figure out how they found this job -- it seemed like they went there already knowing that that was what they were going to do, but I can't figure out how.

billytea's Scenes of International Drivers had me in stitches. HIGHlarious.

InBartlebyNews, I mentioned a problem he had in his bumular region in October.

I've been treating it myself and the interwebs told me it was a condition that would likely persist for the rest of his doggy years.

I took him to the vet today to rule out some concerns that were...um...concerning me...and discovered that a) he does not have a tumor (yay!) and the fistula is not as deep as such things usually are. So. There is a chance it isn't that at all. The doc took a culture and believes we might actually be able to heal up the wound without surgery or caustic chemical intervention. Both of which were options I did not want to entertain.

My sigh of relief was so great, it pointed out how very stressed I've been about this for 4 months. I really do have mad sublimation skillz...sometimes to my ungood.

Here's hoping the culture comes back with a label that says 'apply this safe chemical and all will be well.'

My favorite part about this whole conversation is that it reminds me that I never drive anywhere. Which is a Good Thing, in my book. Yay for NYC.

Though I am driving to Vermont in a couple of days, but it's vacation. Special occasion.

I just had two tutoring clients in a row, preparing for the ISEE (a private high school entrance exam). I love working with 7th and 8th graders one-on-one, especially the somewhat artsy ones like these two. So much fun. Looks like we're going to be working regularly, which is great, both financially and sanity-wise.

If I stay in NYC after next year, I'm definitely going to try transitioning to full-time tutoring. It's hard to keep up a base of clients, but I just love working one-on-one so much, and the pay scale for it here is pretty amazing.

Oh yeah. And it's just "Jersey driver."

Heh. With me it was usually just, "Fuckin' Jersey, man." But I know and love many Jerseyans. Just... not usually on the roads. And now I just kind of think everyone drives way worse than people used to. Probably a sign of (my) aging.

Rolling stop is a California Roll to me. I'm a pretty good stopper, though.

My favorite part about this whole conversation is that it reminds me that I never drive anywhere.

I of course usually drive in Australia, which doesn't seem outlandishly reckless. (I found the drivers in Philly to be largely reasonable, but the road system outside the central grid had been designed by sadistic lemurs who wanted to add a little variety into their poo-flinging. I cite the on- and off-ramps on the Schuylkill as Exhibit A.)

I have found somewhere I refuse to drive, namely China. A source of fascination to me was the sheer variety of ways in which the Shanghai taxi drivers conspired to kill us. It's a real growth industry! I bet it's recession-proof too.

I am a cautious driver. There are certain places where I truly enjoy coming to a full stop. But I do roll when it makes sense.

I have to say I think the worst city I've driven in is Boston. But, I've never driven in NYC, so I can't say Boston is the absolute worst.

The big thing about driving in Spain is actually being a pedestrian. You can not look the driver in the eye, if you do hir will run you down. They figure if the pedestrian saw the car (i.e., make eye contact with the driver), then they would know to stay out of the road. Otherwise, I'd say they don't drive any worse than most Americans in any city and they can be very polite. It's quite common to see a large truck pull over onto the shoulder and an arm come out to wave you around. Although, that means 2 lane roads quickly turn into 4 lanes at any given time.

Yeah, there are only a few places I've been where I thought I might not want to drive. One of them was the middle of London, the other was The Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

Sweet zombie Jesus the Arc de Triomphe roundabout is insane. I've come to the conclusion that in Paris, pedestrian crossings are there only so the drivers know where to find you. (The horn is simply to ensure you're facing the right way for them to savour the look on your face.)

OMG! YES! We witnessed the Arc de Triomphe from the top of a tour bus and it looked CRAZY INSANE.