Will it help Barb if you think that all the people are just as nervous as you?

The toys are gone. $33 is mine. and now, I am going to do some on my taxes before leaving the boys since they are not ready for the movie.

Ugh, Emmett forgot to take his backpack to school one day last week. It was on a transition day between his Mom and our house, so I didn't want to drive it back over again until I had to go the East Bay next (three school days). Because of not having his backpack he totally fucked up an entire week's worth of homework, losing paper and assignments and screwing all of his grades deeply into the ground. (B's down to C-minuses) From three days of not having his backpack!

I explained to him that not having the backpack required that he be more diligent about staying on top of his homework, not blowing it off entirely.

So this morning we are trying to catch up on everything. Plus, he has his big research project this term which means that after we drive to the East Bay and he has baseball practice for two hours, then I will drive him to interview an expert on U.S. Presidents who he will interview for an extra hour. That means five hours of being out of the house in the East Bay...with Matilda who was promised that she could go see Emmett's practice.

This on top of spending from 8am to 5:30pm on Friday in the East Bay (away from home but not at work) because he had to make up a missed session of Math tutoring.

Quelle drag! Very un-weekend-like.

Will it help Barb if you think that all the people are just as nervous as you?

Not really, unfortunately. This is a family party we're attending, to which we've very kindly been invited. And in a sense, I'm looking forward to meeting Eileen's family- she speaks of them so fondly and I'm sure it'll be great. It's just the sense of unknown that's got me a little crazed.

My afternoon is turning to suck. I came home with groceries...and a headache. Then trying to avoid tripping on a cat, I fell into my granny cart and a) broke one of its wheels b) knocked two picture off the wall and broke their (cheap, thankfully) frames and c) hurt my left foot and my right knee.

Then in an effort to get rid of my headache, I decided to eat something substantial. So I set out to make my mom's shepherd's pie. However, after I had started cooking the potatoes and beef, I discovered that my worchestershire sauce has gone off. (It's essential to her sauce.)

I don't think I dare attempt key lime pie with this kind of mojo. Maybe tomorrow. Also, I think supper will be ordered in.

Oh, there was a puking cat in the middle of all that.

I would be hitting the wine if it wasn't for the headache.

OK, so the first Cutting Edge movie is about a hockey player and a figure skater. Second one is about a roller blader and a figure skater. I haven't seen the third yet. From the commercials, it looks like the fourth is about a speed skater and a figure skater. I'm wondering what the third one is -- I can't think of many other kinds of skating. Roller skating? Skate boarding?

Maybe he has one of those little razor scooters?

Roller derby? Short track speed skater? Extreme Ice racer?

It looks like the third one is hockey again.

Did anyone in Brooklyn just have GIANT HAIL falling on them???? Followed immediately by the sun coming out???

You got our hail! [link] (The website's in Chinese, it's about Melbourne's storms last week. For extra fun, use Google Translate! Apparently, "A witness said the racecourse, the sky dark moment, a sudden storm came, and then made a 10-minute hail to the track to turn white.")