I've gotten coffee and teas as professional gifts and they were much appreciated.

When I left for work this morning, my apartment building's elevator was working, but reeking. It just stank like something had gone really stale, which I discovered when I got off on the first floor was due to the water all over the floor. I thought maybe something in the laundry room, across from the elevator, had sprung a leak, but when I called the management office, they told me it was the entire complex having issues with the pipes backing up. I hope they get it fixed today!

Well, I decided on flowers for my editor and rooster towels for my agent, which is a joke based on the manuscript she just sold.

Was it a book about using roosters as part of your daily hygiene?

My first cousins are like my brothers and sisters - almost all of them are 10 to 20 or so years older than me. I'm pretty sure I've met them all, but I wouldn't recognize most of them at this point, the big exception being my cousin who stayed in our home town. I don't see her often, but she rocks.

Hee--the Hotel Burnham in downtown Chicago has a Director of Pet Relations who is an adorable English Bulldog.

And, awww, beagle puppy plays with rottweiler!

Awwwww, indeed! I love how the rottie doesn't even need to get up. He just moves his head or one paw while the beagle's running and rolling all over the place. The rottie looks so happy!

Oh, hey, have any of our eastern MA types actually lived in Boston recently? I'm on the fence about whether or not I really really need to get a street parking permit. It's either a pain in the ass for other people (doing me a favor), or some money....

For guests, or are you getting a car? If you're getting a car, then yes you'll want one. If it's a visitor's permit, meh, that can wait till you move in and you can reassess.