New thread! And baby girl! And Barb's birthday! Hurray!

Just one quick comment on the childbirth thing--I'll likely never experience it myself, but I was my friend K's sole birthing coach when I was 21, and it was a truly awe-inspiring, life-changing event for me. I will always be grateful I got to experience it. (Wasn't pretty or pain-free, but it sure was incredible.)

Good news: I may get to tear up the leave slip I was going to turn in for 5 hrs of vacation this Friday.

Bad news: This means I'm still at work.

In re Laurie Colwin - I remember reading something of hers in which she wrote about being a student at Columbia (Barnard?) during the 1960s riots. While everyone else was making signs, making speeches, sitting in, she was making tuna sandwiches for them. And reading the wedding and engagement notices in the NY Times. (The others had the news sections and were reading their coverage.)

And, yes, Happy All the Time is a delight.

Barb! Happy birthday!

Happy birthday, Barb.

I think there is a squirrel rollerskating on my roof.

Hippo Birdies, Two Ewes, Barb!!

Happy Barbthday!

Happy birthday, Barb!

While in the hell we mortals call the DMV today, I read the printout I got last night of the either proposed or passed So Pasadena Municipal Code section on community gardens. It's 3 pages of bureaucracy applied to anything called a community garden whether it's on private land or public land. You must have a Level 1 EPA soil test conducted by a state or federally accredited lab (even though private landowners don't have to test their soil to eat their own produce...). You must have this kind of fence but not that kind of fence. It must be higher than xx but not higher than xx. Where it meets private property it must now be made out of xx but not xx and be this high exactly. You can have no structure whatsoever on the property (so you must haul your tools to the garden with you every time regardless of whether you own a car, are disabled, etc). You must be there no earlier than dawn and no later than dusk. You must...etc. etc.

I understand that neighbors want good neighbors, but this stuff is so onerous and bureaucratic it takes all the fun out of gardening. I'm so discouraged I feel like just helping out with some of the research and then bowing out because I'm not up for the corporatizing of what is a therapeutic and beautiful pastime for me.

Home now. So tired. Need to shower and pack and scoop litter pans. Considering doing it all in the morning. Feh.

yep, doing it in the morning. Zen, mos def still need a wakeup call. Grazie.

Hee. I like "barbthday".

I have also seen the "needs replaced" etc, but probably wouldn't use it myself.

I need to do some work, and don't wanna. Also, I felt all proud that I worked out this morning, but three doughnuts and a thing of gummy bears later, any benefit is long gone...