bonny, that is such a lovely photo. Joyful is exactly right.

meara, I am so sorry. That doth suck and blow. I would be livid about the $45K double debit.

bonny, what a lovely photo!

Oh, meara, that bites seven ways to Sunday.

Went to my first Mariners game today. It was a glorious day for baseball except for the part where the Mariners, you know, lost.

My in-laws leave tomorrow, which is sad-making because I honestly enjoy them (except for the part where Lewis and his mom have a tendency to bicker because they're exactly alike in so many ways). On the other hand, their departure signals the beginning of a six week period where I have no real obligations other than to write.

Well, and possibly consider a new car. Which I'm of mixed feelings about, but it's a possibility.

Yeah, I'm like, as if I didn't have enough stress already, these things do NOT need to be happening. I mean, the IRS thing is in theory easy enough--I know I'm right, and do not owe them anything, and have the documents, etc. But it's just ONE MORE THING.

And I'm really HOPING and EXPECTING the bank thing will be easy enough to fix...but god knows it could be awful. And if nothing else, they could fuck it up just enough that somehow, I don't get the house until they un-fuck it up, and somehow that takes time, or some nonsense.

Bonny, that's a beautiful picture, and joyful indeed.

OMG, Teppy. They made that corset with you and Vortex in mind. So very, very hot. And if it's to be the official Stephanie corset, then Stephanie's tagline: Cleavage beats bling hands down would confirm the idea.

meara that's terrible. It's stupid that you have to fix their mistakes and then let the bank know it was a mistake and has been fixed. I hope it's fairly simple, and is taken care of in time the house purchase isn't affected.

Bonny, I'm glad you had a lovely birthday. You deserve it. I can't remember if I wished you a happy one before, so Happy Birthday to you!

money and bank~ma, meara.

meara, good luck getting everything sorted out. What a pain for you.

Good luck~ma, meara.

It's a rough day. Don't know why I even thought to pretend it's normal and go and have a French study group. But I know that now, more than all years, I see the connection between the specific process of memorization and the more dead soldiers in the future. It made me want to find another way to remember the ones who died, without contributing to it.

That sounds really interesting, Shir. Did you see the series in the NY Times on "Valley of the Shadow of Death" photo from the Crimean War?

Yes, I have. Anyway, as for photography - I don't remember who wrote about the "finding something that moves one that much", but with this topic... I'm not interested by it, as much as intrigued. I don't have any other words to put it in. If there is an interest, is to find how and why a certain type of objectification leads to violence, or is an act of violence in itself (opinions and research vary on this point).

And btw - Crimean War is fascinating, historically and sociology-wise. There aren't a lot of points in history from which we can say that "it started there", but we can say a lot of things about that war. First time reports came, pretty much in real time, from the front. It made huge changes in public opinion. The technology. The medicine. The place of a woman, of a reporter in the war. So much changed there.

Timelies, Shir. I wish you insight and strength today.

I am awake against my will. On the bright side, better get used to it because of the dog, I reckon. I am so Frankie like carrots right now, I've been lying here tryig to figure out where the eff I'm going to put his crate, and how to do the cat introductions, etc., etc. Which, bonny, insent.

Stephanie, thanks again! I know it makes R feel better that you read it and gave feedback.

Today's going to be a long day, and as usual I'm behind as hell at work. ::sigh::

quester, that sounds like a really difficult one. The Girl is in a similar situation, and has currently given up on finding full-time work in the near future, so I can empathise. What might you study at school? I hope whatever decision you make works out for you!

Bank~ and IRS~ma, meara. That's a sucky situation.