Thanks! I've been up since 4! Jet lag sucks and I go back to work tomorrow! I see drugs and warm milk in my future!

Welcome back, Daisy. I'm looking forward to a full report after you get some rest.

Matt, I'm so sorry for your loss.

Aims, that sounds like a great first sleepover. In that they slept at all. I haven't braved that one yet.

Lisah, many congratulations and much happiness to you & Bob. Sarameg, the wedding postings was awesome.

We made it to SF!! Bouncy ride, bad airport transfer, but HKF slept until 5:30, after getting to bed at 10:45, natch, but we were worried she'd stay stuck to east coast time. Nope, hooray? One more plane trip to go and then I can haz sister! But first, mini SFf2f today - also yay!

My condolences, Matt

As for today's weather, wtf December?

Average temp is 30°F. Right now?? -2°F (-19°C)

Andi is probably at work thinking about leaving me fr warmer climes.

Daniel, you will just have to keep her warm!

Thanks for the votes of confidence, folks. I am so honored that she confided in me, and have told her mucho about her bravery and about how much I admire her decision.

It's 21 here -- not so VERY cold, but it sure as hell feels like it, after the gorgeous autumn we have had.

I don't have what I would call a LAZY day ahead of me, since I have a ton of prep and grading, but I don't really need to do any errands, so it will be a comfortable day of grading and laundry and syllabus and lesson plans.

And the season finale of The Walking Dead!!

DJ, I am sorry about your friend. I, too, am looking forward to your report on your trip!! (And pix!)

DJ, welcome home! I can't wait to hear India stories! I'm so glad you had such a fantastic trip. Now I want to go back!

It is snowing in Nashville, y'all. (Though it kind of looks like it might be turning to "wintry mix" now.) Good thing we got our Christmas/Solstice tree yesterday!

I think the twins' parents were missing their girls something awful. I got a 13 second phone call saying, "We'll be there in about an hour." and they were right on time. Fun was had by all, especially me. I can totally see myself with twins one day. Letter to Santa maybe?

The house is clean and I am taking a nap before starting on my paper.

This is ridiculous. I just noticed several more grey hairs while I was looking in the mirror putting Orajel on a wisdom tooth that's coming in. I should not have to deal with either wisdom teeth or grey hair at 30! And certainly not both at the same time!

(I would henna, except last time I tried that, I ended up having to scrub most of the bathroom afterwards.)

There's a new Hyperbole and a Half.

Here's the first two India stories.

Our first night in India: we get off the plane and out of the airport at 3 or 4 am (this is apparently when all international flights arrive and leave). It's humid like woah and there's just a crush of people and all kinds of strange smells some good some not so, but there is a definite feeling of, "We are so not in Kansas anymore!" We find a driver to take us to our little cheap hotel jon booked so we could have a rest after the flight. The drive just got scarier and scarier. Tons of people wandering sleeping begging. The driver pulls in front of a dark alley and Jon wanders over sleeping dogs and goats to get to an unmarked door and gets buzzed in. Our room is teeny and the bathroom is almost too small to even fit in. Jon sets up the water filter so we can bathe, and we can see tiny little worms that are being filtered out. I thought Mumbai was going to be miserable.

Then, the next morning we woke up to a call to prayer that was lovely and mesmerising, walked down to the hotel's cafe and had tea and parantha found a driver. He took us to Gandhi's house and to the bazaar and to the India Gate and the Taj Palace hotel and everything was awesome. (As a side note, to a person, everytime we told people we were American, the first thing they said was "Obama!" He is a great man!")

That night we went down to the cafe again and drank tea and played Gin and just listened to the city until bedtime.

Other Mumbai highlights were the laundry. Blocks and blocks of workers washind and drying clothes old school style. We have video which is good because it has to be seen to be believed. Amazing architecture from the train stations to the musems and churches and temples including a church for the British soldiers stationed there (there are notches in the backs of the pews to stick rifles in). We also got to watch a bit of cricket game on these amazing palm tree lined grounds in the middle of the city. We went to, but could not really go to the Towers of Silence where the Parsis take their dead to be eaten by vultures (the vultures were dying out, so they've set up a solar decomp process and imported vultures from elsewhere).

Next up-Heather and Jon are nearly thrown off the train from Mumbai to Jaipur.