I can try that. I still feel weird reading at the table, since, when I was a kid, that was Not Allowed, but I guess feeling weird is better than feeling bored.

I was thinking about going to a Memorial Day thing in a nearby town -- they claim to be the town that invented Memorial Day -- but I was looking at what was going on, and part of it is that they're giving out various civic awards, and the award for education is going to a "science" museum that has in their mission statement that they teach that the Creator is behind everything and they don't teach theories as facts, so I decided that was probably not the place for me. (Also, it didn't look too interesting. The announcement said that WWII reenactors would bivouac on the grounds of the military museum, and I got excited for a minute when I thought bivouac might mean parachute, but then I looked it up, and it turns out it just means sleep in tents.)

Ooh, or you could sit there and pretend you're the Queen of England, and everyone in the restaurant are your subjects.

You're telling me that people don't do this on a regular basis? Huh.

OK, I got dressed. I'll go to Barnes and Noble first, and get a magazine, then go to the Thai restaurant.

Water and ice in a big pan - stick your feet in. Works for me when it is really hot

The thai place was closed, as was the sushi place, so I'm at the mexican place and posting from my droid while I wait.

Glad you're getting to cool off a bit, Hil.

Oof, Nora, what a shitty situation (and Seska, yours too). I agree with everyone else that your grandmother gave it to YOU, and your cousin will just have to live with it. And I'm so sorry for the loss of your grandmother, and doubly sorry that you have to put up with this bullshit when you're missing her so much.

So I just got back from a weeklong trip to New York and Ireland! It was a wonderful little vacation (well, the New York part of it was a work trip, but even then I got to see friends & family & Buffistas!), but I'm feeling kinda down tonight because I'm exhausted from traveling (I've been up since 6am Dublin time, which is midnight Nashville time) and I miss M (he's still in Ireland until next Friday) and it's weird to be in our apartment alone. I wish we had some closer friends here. That's been the hardest part of moving, for me anyway, making new friends and being good about maintaining old friendships back home in Massachusetts. So while M's away this month I've just spent a lot of time on my own, at home, wishing I had someone I could just call up and say "You want to come over and watch Say Anything and eat ice cream?"

Well, I shouldn't be complaining after such a great trip. The comedown is always tricky, that's all.

Laga, thanks - I'll throw it away.

Went out to dinner, then went to Barnes and Noble until it closed, and now I'm back home. It's maybe slightly cooler, but just slightly. At least at night time there's no sun coming in -- during the day, I couldn't decide whether to shut the windows and curtains to keep the sun out, or open them to let the air in.

I've just spent a lot of time on my own, at home, wishing I had someone I could just call up and say "You want to come over and watch Say Anything and eat ice cream?"

Oh sweetie, I wish we had a teleporter. I finally have good friends in LA, but they usually work opposite shifts, so I feel like this a lot when Drew is traveling. I would totally watch movies and eat ice cream with you.

Pix, seriously! Man, I would love that -- the teleporter, but mostly just getting to hang out with you more. (BTW, there is a chance that we might be coming out to LA sometime this fall! Mostly to visit my brother, but we would for sure want to see you & Drew too. I will let you know if/when I have more details!)

I feel like this a lot when Drew is traveling.

I've been thinking of you a lot this month and wondering how you deal with it. This research trip is just a month; I really don't know how I'd handle it if he was gone more often.