Erin - take a picture of the pile of wood and post it on CL under the free section.

Freecycle as well.

Nom, eating grocery store tortellini with awesome parsley pesto and tomatoes acquired from the Farmer's Market.

Also, a Jack Rose of course.

Not only am I keeping my same cell number (I've had it for like 10+ years), since we have Vonage internet landline service, we have our MA land line number.

Lord, I am exhausted. Wonder why?

Cats on their backs with their heads upside down at 90 degree angles are amusing. And reflective of how it's kinda hot and bothersome right now.

I have to report that if you're picking an Urth Caffe to visit in LA County, that so far the one on Melrose is the best. Not menu-wise, but staring-at-people-wise. They're just...they're all...it's like it's an event, you know? I haven't been to the one downtown, but the Beverly and the Santa Monica one are much more laid back. But then, less funny.

We had a bra-showing lady next to us who really seemed like she'd dressed for the occasion. Sheer top and lacy bra, and somehow her micro-mini looked like she was wearing a crinoline.

Matilda and I are back home again; she was shockingly cooperative and pleasant and mellow at -t's (in the car before we went in, I explained to her that we were there to give -t some love because she is very sad, because her husband whom she loves a lot has died and she misses him, and Matilda said, "Sometimes I am sad about my grandfather who died, but that was a long time ago when I was just a baby." "But still, so you understand how she feels?" I said. "Yeah. Yeah, I do understand," she said, and in we went).

-t's sister is staying with her and is very kind and funny and awesome, and -t is doing okay with her company and love. And she said that thinking about the Buffistas and all the loving messages and visits she's gotten makes her a little teary, in a good way.

I'm so glad -t was able to get some Matilda love.

Guatemala: volcanoes, tropical storm, sinkholes. Very dramatic picture.

Tonight's Stanley Cup broadcast had a gorgeous shot of sunset over Chicago, but they ruined it with a little box of advertising in the middle of the screen. Feh.

In wonderful sportsmanship news, did you hear about the girls softball team who forfeited their game to teach the other team how to play?

One Marshall player asked, "Which one is first base?" Another: "How do I hold this bat?" They didn't know where to stand in the batter's box. Their coaches had to be shown where the first- and third-base coaching boxes were.

That's when Roncalli did something crazy. It offered to forfeit.

Yes, a team that hadn't lost a game in 2½ years, a team that was going to win in a landslide purposely offered to declare defeat. Why? Because Roncalli wanted to spend the two hours teaching the Marshall girls how to get better, not how to get humiliated...

Roncalli wasn't done. Traylor asked all the parents of his players and anybody else he knew for more help for Marshall -- used bats, gloves, helmets, money for cleats, gloves, sliders, socks and team shirts. They came up with $2,500 and worked with Marshall on the best way to help the program with that money. Roncalli also connected Marshall with former Bishop Chatard coach Kim Wright, who will advise the program.

"We probably got to some things 10 years quicker than we would have had without Roncalli," says Marshall principal Michael Sullivan.

And that was just the appetizer. A rep from Reebok called Sullivan and said, "What do you need? We'll get it for you." A man who owns an indoor batting cage facility has offered free time in the winter. The Cincinnati Reds are donating good dirt for the new field Marshall will play on.

In wonderful sportsmanship news, did you hear about the girls softball team who forfeited their game to teach the other team how to play?

Sheesh, between this and opposing-team-carries-broken-ankle-girl-around- bases-for-winning-home-run I wish America looked more to girl's softball and less to the NBA/NFL/MLB for their sense of sportsmanship.