I planted some fresh nip outside (mostly in a last-ditch attempt to distract the neighbors cats from my blueberry bushes after rue, marigolds, fencing, small posts, lots of string, and a generous dusting of coffee grounds did not succeed) and i am now the BEST FRIEND EVAH of every cat in the 'hood. I'm frankly astonished that it survived the first hour after planting. I didn't even have a chance to water the poor thing before the neighbor's creepy one-eyed cat was rolling in the stuff. Then it followed me around for the rest of the day, perhaps hoping i had more nip to plant elsewhere. Brilliant plan: backfired!

A friend of mine said that before vet appointments, he gives his cat a sip of vodka, and it works like a charm.

Then again, said friend just fed me with what turned out to be the hideousness of dark Lindt chocolate with sea salt, and I said that I won't speak with him ever again.

ION, turns out there's a kitten in Welsh mythology who killed 180,000 knights. Welsh kittens are on to something!

And now, meara'ing of the past 48 hours:

Hang in there, Shir. That sounds VERY irritating - but you really will get to the point where the rest of your classmates catch up with you. If only at post-grad level (but I hope it happens for you before that).

If only it was them leveling up to me. The lecturers are sometimes speechless too. People who aren't coming to classes (and I'm doubt if they ever read the articles) complain now that they don't understand anything. I try to see them as a (quite large) talkative minority. But just as subtext rapidly becoming text, so does this minority becoming more dominate. And it's gone worse, worse, worse, in the past 48 hours, but I don't even have the strength to talk about it anymore. I'm considering how wise will it be to get active and shed a light on the stupidness both to lecturers and dumb students, for I think I can, but I'm not sure how what will be the price of that. I've already got accused in being arrogant bitch for suggesting to help people who don't understand the method by one of the students in this group.

I really do think that what bugs me most about it is that I'm trying to see my classmates as intellectual people, and it seems like they're constantly trying to prove me wrong.

Someone on other forum just accused me of lying, because I described something that once happened to me, and he doesn't believe it because it's never happened to him. Must stay calm and step away. I do not need to get stressed about stupid things.

Words of sense. It also reminds me the times lecturers first trying to teach the concept of hegemony. To undergrads, it's all in the lecturers' heads.

...That is pretty much my solution to everything. (Ice-cream)

P-C, my sister!

But yeah, just walking when there are kids involved is. Not. Cool.

Seriously. Tom's half brother did this and he better hope I never run into him, ever. (Tom is still in touch with his ex-SIL and his niece and nephew. We've never been to visit them in Ireland, I wonder if that's because Tom feels so guilty on his brothers behalf... we do send awesome presents for birthdays and christmas though)

It's so heartbreaking. I guess M. is now on Facebook, so I was able to see his douchebaggery right there in in my cyberface. The ex SIL was horribly upset though, that the kids might find him. (she emailed Tom about it.)

My cousin Steve is on facebook now, too.

Although he is much better now, I am hesitating.

Did I mention he is now living in the same assisted living apartment building that his mother lives in?

Patrick Stewart trades barbs with UK "comic." [link]

Patrick Stewart trades barbs with UK "comic."

Interesting. James Corden's a talented guy and usually not offensive.

Looks like Patrick Stewart started it.

So you're saying that he made it so?

Fucking knights - always causing trouble....

Olivia is playing with her Gloomy Bear and Owen is wearing his Tick costume around the house. I'd say summer vacation is off to a good start.