Oh, I have to share another good thing. Normally, the teens at the pool annoy me. Honestly, teens anywhere tend to. But these 5 guys, I'd guess they were late teens, were fooling around in the other empty lane. When I got in, one challenged me to a race. I told him only if I got to pick the distance. He was game until I told him it was going to be 50 laps. They looked at me, aghast. But he raced me for one (neck and neck) and then throughout the rest of my run, they'd periodically cheer me on and ask what # I was on and I'd flash fingers on turns to show them the count. I got a "damn, girl" when I finished up.

It was rather sweet.

Hmm. Dinner was half a pound of ground chicken and half a pound of chopped shrimp simmered in a cup of coconut milk, seasoned, served over rice, and topped with cilantro. It was pretty good, but next time I will start improving on the recipe. Probably will add basil and corn, and maybe some lime juice.

Aww, that's awesome, sara!

Jesse, if I can just make it to...er...um...July 23rd? I will be OK. Assuming my review also goes OK, and I'm not weeping in my socks due to that. But if I make it through all that, after July 23rd everything will go back to merely difficult, as opposed to "OMG SHOOT ME". I hope. I think. July 23rd is the big deadline for a number of things. Some other things they're piling on are related, and SHOULD NOT be sent to us now while we're dealing with this, and they should've freakin waited two weeks, and will still have to eventually be dealt with (and will be a pain), but...

ita, I really should meet your mom sometime. Are they coming to the Open this year?

Java, we are hoping to only check two bags, one is the aerobed that mac and I will be sleeping on until the movers get there, so the other one will most likely be clothes, toilitries and movies/games.

The cats are what really limit us on bringing much with us. Since they count as 2 carryons, my dad and I will only have backpacks for stuff stuff and that will be my laptop and one set of clothes for everyone plus meds and a ziploc of catfood. mac's bag is all toys, SHOCKING! I have to figure out what small bag he can carry as his personal item easily and maybe put his change of clothes in there.

That's awesome, sara. It's not easy to impress teenage boys.

cookie jar update, so with 10 hours left it is at $55. I doubt I will get the top dollar I saw one had sold for, but it should go up more closer to the end. very exciting.

Dana, ginger and/or the galangal (?) I always see mentioned in the menu at the awesome Thai restaurant. I think it is limey/gingery.

Java, we are hoping to only check two bags, one is the aerobed that mac and I will be sleeping on until the movers get there, so the other one will most likely be clothes, toilitries and movies/games.

Oh, that makes sense. I thought you were trying to skip a $25 checked luggage fee or something and I was gonna tell you to give yourself a break! :) You're doing awesome!

sara, no doubt they were nigh impressed.

So I am at home, safe. The verdict has come in and so far so calm. Wait until dark, though - that's when trouble, if it's going to happen, will.

I spent the day playing bocce ball at our company event and actually thought it was most enjoyable! Usually I hate day time company events - the whole notion of forced frivolity doesn't sit well with me; however, today we had lots of food and alcohol and mild weather and so it was terrific.

I'm not sure the tiny Asian markets around here carry galangal, but yeah, ginger would be yummy too.

OMG you guys. Darby is hanging in the living room tonight. This is a big step. There might have been some smoked trout involved. But the trout is gone and she's still wandering about. Also, the rawhide chew I gave her (and she had no interest in) has moved from the spare room into the middle of the living room floor some time today. That is huge.

She's so incredibly sweet. But this whole adult dog with issues thing is so different than bringing in a puppy. She's not scared, exactly. But serious and tentative and, I don't know. Things that Kaylee no doubt did on her first day are huge milestones for Darb.

When she lies down and curls up, she is just the exact right size to wrap your arms around and pick up and squeeze. And it would be the worst thing I could do. It just breaks my heart. Oh, sweet girl.