Oh Barb, rent her a wheelchair with a basket, and use her as a battering ram through the crowds. Pile the basket and then her lap with the packages. You're behind her, pushing, and it's crowded, so you "can't hear" what she's saying, so she'll just have to point where she wants to go.

No, passive-aggressive? Me? Not the least tiny little bit. Good luck with your mom. Try very very hard to remember you're not responsible for one thing she does or says, you're just there as a sherpa, and don't let it affect your mood or your holidays. Blessings on you for being dutiful.

In me news, StY called this morning--the package I mailed off on Monday actually arrived today, and safely. Now all he has to do is zhujzh the bows! I've a few more cards to write notes in and address, but if they arrive before New Years--or Old Christmas, it's still good.

I love Bev so much.

I actually may go to the mall today, but this particular mall is nearly never busy, even at Xmas, so it's not so bad.

"Name one miracle you've seen in your lifetime."
"How about the fact that I haven't killed you yet?"
Munch and Bolander, H:LOTS.

And erika comes up with the ideal holiday Homicide quote.

By the time I loaded the damn car, I decided I was too tired to drive, so I am, theoretically, getting up very early. Everything's in the car, so I have some fear of burglars. (I have a carport, not a garage.) Maybe I should attach bells or something, so Mr Peabody will hear them. He may be too worn out to hear them, since he's spent all day barking at the dangerous HVAC guys replacing my neighbor's furnace. I told him they were stringy and tasted of freon and that there were very few HVAC homicides. Also, I gave him a bath this morning, which has made him very suspicious, so it would probably have taken forever just to get him in the car.

thinking back, before anyone goes out buying vicks vaporub for super awesome foot rubs, i should note that both times i had that experience i was waiting for the codeine to "take" enough for me to go back to sleep....so my sensory perception might have been slightly narcoticized.

I'm loving Bev for her wisdom and erika for the perfect quote.

I have survived.

So has she.

Now she's talking to the back of my head, never mind that I said I needed to take care of some correspondence. Important correspondence.

That doesn't matter as much as knowing about my cousin's nervous breakdown and my other cousin who's about to lose her visa.

Never mind that I've not seen either of these cousins in years and I'm perfectly happy that way.

It's still important that I Know.

More ~ma headed smonster's way for her sis.

Oh jeez, my mother always talks when I am on the computer, interspersed with asking "What are you writing?" "Who are you writing to now?" and "Are you STILL on there?"

How did Scrappy get my mother?

smonster, I hope R is OK! Please post updates when you know anything... and give her a gentle hug for me.

We are in business class with free wifi. I enjoy the following: boarding first, free drinks, room for my ass and my legs. Not necessarily in that order. Good splurging!

Drinking G&Ts and surfing the internet. Sadly, we will be landing in Atlanta shortly. But we have biz class on our next leg too.

erika, did I mention here that Tom got me the entire H:LOTS series on DVD for Xmas???