waiting on a call back from the vet, re: Taz. Poor guy- he occasionally seems to have balance issues and his back legs give out beneath him and lately he's been obsessively grooming his lower half and biting at his rear paws, like he's trying to pull off the outer layer of the nail.

Poor Taz- I am thinking it might be all this upcoming move stuff that is stressing him out.

Also, vet- don't freak me out and say that he NEEDS to come in and then take more than an hour to get back to me to schedule! Ugh. I'm gonna call back.

So, I am seriously considering the flame corset, because I enjoy the idea of an official Steph uniform, but I wonder where else I would wear it. I'm getting old kids, I don't have a lot of opportunities to wear a black leather corset with flames.

Vortex, you could wear it under a jacket, with black pants or a skirt, to a bar or other social gathering place that the kids like to visit these days.

We've spent the morning arranging to take our cars over to France on the ferry on Friday, so that we can pick up stranded Londoners (the ash cloud from Iceland is grounding all flights ANYWHERE) and bring them home. As The Girl said while on hold to the ferry company, "I really wasn't designed ever to have a proper job." Rescue mission!

That's awesome. I heard the British Navy is doing essentially the same thing and that there's a plan to fly Britons (does that include everyone?) to Madrid and then home by Navy from there.

I feel for everyone stuck but I've been enjoying reading about the crazy ways people are getting home. (A british friend lives in Germany but was home visiting. He bought a car and drove him since it was cheaper and faster than anything else.)

oh, and Smonster, I'm glad I could help.

and meara, I hope your closing goes well!

does that include everyone?

It doesn't seem to. Because of the backlog that will continue even once British airspace is open again, we're hearing of hundreds of people who could remain stranded for another week or so. We wish we could go before Friday, but we've got a really full week. Come Friday, though, we're rescuing two sets of backpackers (who we don't know!) and a friend's partner, plus hoping to take some people over to France who are trying to get across the continent. We're just hearing about airports reopening, and we're sort of hoping there will be people to rescue! But I expect there will be.

You know, we have odd, sometimes slightly irritating lives, with me being disabled and both us currently being unemployed, among other frustrations. But without those situations, we wouldn't have the chance to do this kind of thing. And that makes me all bouncy and grateful. Hurrah.

to a bar or other social gathering place that the kids like to visit these days.

Hahhaha! This phrasing cracked me up.

Closing went OK, I guess. Arm did not fall off signing things. Possibly it helped that the place is not old enough to require signing anything saying I am aware it has asbestos or lead or what have you, and that any babies I have may be born with three heads or eat poison and die, etc etc. I DID have to sign something saying I don't intend to use it for agricultural purposes (?there is so not enough space for that, unless they mean "get a lot of grow lights and make an indoor marijuana farm") and then another thing saying I don't intend to ...store? create? something.... hazardous or toxic chemicals (? maybe that was the part where I was promising not to make my house into a meth lab? Why does my mind automatically go to DRUGS?!?!? CAN ANYONE TELL ME THAT?!?)

Meanwhile, the bank seems to have fixed their issue, according to my online banking. WHEW.

Now to try to get some work done. And fax the IRS. And wait for my KEYS!!

meara! You're a homeowner!!!!!

But, since you signed the form, you are NOT a farmer.

Congrats, non-meth-creator Meara!

Congratulations, homeowner meara!