Calli, how's your BiL? And how's your ankle?

The last I heard, my BiL was still in the hospital, waiting on tests. My sister is staying with him, occasionally leaving to get non-hospital food for the both of them.

My ankle's a little less happy today, because I had to go in to the office. There's more swelling and a bit of achiness because I couldn't really find a good way to keep it up all day. But my manager says I can work from home the rest of the week, so it'll have plenty of time to heal.

Smonster, are you with the family or have you come back to NC?

Mah mouf ith numfb.

So much for making calls. It's tv and internet for meeeeeeee.

And soup. Since I can't feel the entire upper part of my face.

I can attest to the poor cell service in Vermont. I carry my personal Rumor-2 with full data and text through Virgin Mobile. For work I have a Motorola on verizon. Both work great everywhere but Vermont. The rolling hills and lack of towers leave dead spots in large portions of the state. Waterbury is one of the spots where I can get good service Steph ;-)

Lots of health Ma to all the folks in need

So, was this the thread where we talked about what to tell your kids about Santa last year? I have to report back...

After our conversation, I had decided to let Ellie believe what she wanted to and not worry about it much. But in the last few weeks, she had asked me a lot about where certain people lived - the Wonder Pets, Dora, and a few other pretend characters - and I told her they were pretend. Then two weeks ago, she asked me point blank whether Santa was pretend. Well, I felt obligated to tell her the truth and it didn't seem to make any impression at all.

Then today her teacher pulled me aside at pick up and told me that when discussing Santa in class today, Ellie had responded that he was pretend. She asked me to ask Ellie to share that only with adults so that other kids could believe what they wanted. She wanted to know if we had any religious objections to Ellie hearing about Santa (no) and offered to let her sit somewhere else while Santa is discussed in class. It was sort of funny - while I support the teacher and get what she was saying, it was weird to me that i was being asked to ask my child to keep *the truth* to herself. But I get it.

I realize this marks me as a sad individual, but there you have it. I hate to bargain. It's too much like conflict, and I hate conflict.

Oh me too. I will pay people to call the service department for me, no kidding. I bought a used car from Saturn so I wouldn't have to dicker.

So it's really funny that I seem to be in a most actionable position, should I care to initiate a harassment lawsuit with my neighbor. Apparently I have struck fear into the heart of management, which is pleasurable in an evil sort of way.

What would be my motivation? Cash would be nice, and revenge not really worth it. Having my right to quiet enjoyment spelled out wouldn't be so bad. I will probably live here until I croak or the Hayward Fault rips a big one.

I had no real problem with tooth extraction, but having a gap really sucks. I keep stabbing myself with food and plus there's the Hillbilly Smile factor.

I bought a used car from Saturn so I wouldn't have to dicker.

The same issue was a huge factor in our choosing CarMax. I don't consider it "sad" so much as "economically rewarding the dealers who do business in a civilized and honest manner."

So today's wonderful daycare story was that instead of napping, Dylan took off his socks and stuffed them so far into his mouth that he threw up all over himself.

His teachers are getting SOLID GOLD CHRISTMAS PRESENTS this year, I'm telling you.

it was weird to me that i was being asked to ask my child to keep *the truth* to herself.

I just had this conversation with someone - a very good friend, who believes in God, while I am an atheist. I'd told her I hoped to approach the Santa question like a religious belief question, IOW, try to teach her to respect someone else's beliefs, even if she thought them false. It suddenly struck my friend that for me, God is just as much a story as Santa.

Goodness, Jessica. No words.

Stephanie, our friends are Jewish and are struggling with the preschool lessons on Santa this month. They don't object to Santa but it's tough for them--they don't want her singled out but there is certainly a strong desire for "truth" to win out for them.

My kids are embracing Santa whole heartedly--including Owen picking up the phone to call Santa to inform him that he needs to put Liv on the Naughty List.

Jessica, I'm so glad that's you and not me. It so easily could have been.

Humiliation: unable to open two jars, Katerina has to go next door and ask the burly man of the house if he will do it for her.... oh yes, I am having me a power day over here.

Excitation: I am hoping most vigorously that the February Artist Guy will continue to be a flake, for then I shall be showcasing my life's work in felt in the window of The Book Shop in Hayward in February 2010, not November 2012. I am SO excited, you should all be imagining a sort of high-pitched squeeeee of delight emanating from the East Bay.