God I need a smoke. But I don't smoke around the parents. And sis nearly couldn't find her departmental graduation. Lord, forty minutes until it starts. I need a nap. At least we fed our faces at the Flying Biscuit in between.

ain't no power in the 'verse gonna get me sending out cards this year.

This. I was all intending to try, and even bought cards - but between the weather affecting all the deliveries, and now the flu, well.

smonster, this is a lot of graduation! Hope it's not too trying.

Spidra, I hope the RSI stuff gets better.

ETA: I do forget to finish sentences a lot.

Snuck out but don't have my smokes on me and can't find anyone else smoking! So much for tobacco building this state (and its universities) (I'm kidding, mostly).

Nothing more annoying than a Helicopter parent. Worse than a swarm of mosquitoes!!"

Amen.Thank god for caller ID. I had parents that I refused to talk to. I would return their calls at odd hours or only communicate by email. I have been asked for cell and even home numbers. FUCK, no!

I did our family whistle

that's awesome that you have that.

My uni graduation was spread over several days so I was lucky to get the tip off from friends whose departments went the day before to bring a book. It was a lifesaver.

My uni has this huge thing on The Lawn (the quad for less uptight schools) where people throw beach balls and drink champagne. My year, we were pissed that the president insisted on speaking because his kid was graduating. We were reading the paper and openly chatting with the people around us.

The Girl went to Tesco's and got me World's Greatest Cough Syrup. And cake.

I miss the almond shorties (they don't make them anymore). I'm the crazy girl that has to go to Tesco's whenever I'm in England and buy store brand stuff like mustard and cookies.

that's awesome that you have that.

It's a long-short-long with rising tone at the end. I think it started as the honk my grandfather would give when he got home from work. Very useful over the years for calling us off the playground or finding each other in stores. I used it just yesterday in H&M.

Le sigh. I was in the freakin' plane, with the propeller turning. Then my instructor got a call that freezing rain had started falling ten miles south and seemed to be moving north. (It came up fast, too. Nothing on the radar before we got in the plane, all over the place when we checked afterward.) So, anyway, there's the third flying lesson this month canceled. My instructor said he usually has 50-75 hours of instruction in by this time of the month, and this December he's managed 15.

So I came home, sanded my stairs and my neighbors', and walked the cat in the snow. Not a bad afternoon at all, but not what I'd planned.

And now it's sleeting. I hope the parents let us out of the house for our long-awaited celebratory drinkfest.

NC wintry weather xpost! And... You sanded your neighbors?

Dear Charter Cable
Thank you for being so generous to credit the $1.99 charge to pay my bill over the phone, seeing how the auto bill pay service you provide has neglected to actually pay my bill. And I hope you realize, when you ask me to take a brief survey at the end, I will not give favorable responses.

You sanded your neighbors?

How else would I make them all smooth and shiny?

[sneaks back to add vital apostrophe]