I hope Taz can come home Monday.

I needed the ~ma, because there was no one there who knew anything about the A/V system and trying to figure out how the computer talked to the projector became a massive clusterfuck, including one of those people who stab ineffectually with the cursor and say they could figure it out if the computer was a Mac. This is not a slam at Mac users; I suspect this breed says the opposite when faced with a Mac. It's a good thing I didn't say what I was thinking, since he turned out to be the minister. This didn't occur to me because he looked about 15.

I don't think familiarity with either operating system would tell you that the slide show had to be imported into a program called something like EasySermon 2.0. Anyway, we finally got it to run, and people seemed to like it.

This was for my cousin's wife's funeral. She was diagnosed with stomach cancer almost exactly a year ago, the beginning of a Job-like year that included her husband's death from lung cancer and her son-in-law's from a heart attack. I recall trying to explain this convoluted story before and how her granddaughter dealt with all the funerals, nursing homes, finances and everything else.

Humans are strange. This woman was apparently as wonderful to others as she was awful to her family. The granddaughter's husband gave an astonishingly tactful eulogy in which he talked about the deceased solely in terms of how her grandchildren "said" she was a wonderful grandmother, neatly sidestepping the fact that he has been known to describe her as an evil bitch.

The cancer had spread widely and she had just broken her hip, so death was a friend.

and am already regretting doing a mid-week donation.

Oh, yikes. Blood donation wrecks me.

Birthday party for a five-year-old with tons of kids of various ages and their parents. I washed my hands a lot, used sanitizing goo and am still entirely certain I will get sick. Eh, a kid who apparently never wants to be held by others reached out to be held and stuff like that is awesome. Because I can return them. Played with kids, talked with parents, snuck into the bouncy castle and went down the slide... Good day.

so death was a friend.

It sounds awful. I am glad she didn't have to suffer further.

And, wow, tactful eulogy.

Hrm, is there any reason to be worried about a lump on my shin? It's been there a couple months....at first i thought it was an undeveloped bruise as it's right at a level with my bed, an area where i constantly bang my shins. Can lots of bruises leave a permanent lump? It doesn't hurt or move.

That sounds like the hard lump I once got under my skin from a terrific deep bruise - turns out a hematoma can calcify. Maybe repeated bruising in the same spot can produce the same thing? It's normal, anyway, and eventually it went away. I'm not saying don't go see a doctor, though.

If it's still there when i go back for new Rx's i'll have her check it out. That sounds extremely likely, given the location and how many nasty bruises i've had there.

Can lots of bruises leave a permanent lump? It doesn't hurt or move.

Yes. I found that out after my first season playing indoor soccer. I would just keep an eye on it. It should eventually go away, but I think mine took several months.

Wow, Ginger. Just... wow.

Nora, continued ~ma for Taz.

We went tubing today. Met some lovely peeps, all younger but either RPCVs and/or Public health people, so we got along. The two hour trip lasted four, mostly due to some people who decided to make many stops. We waited for them for an hour at one point. But all in all, fun, and we got another couple's contact info. Plus, I wasn't the only RPCV from Moldova!!

Now we're back at StW's where there will be showers and aloe and ibuprofen for the sunburns and then sushi while watching Justified.

Sounds like fun!

Tom cooked an awesome shrimp dish with fresh lima beans (both procured from the farmer's market this morning) along with the peppers and tomatoes gotten in the farm box. It was awesome.

Then we decided to stroll up to Magazine Street and had a lovely (albeit sweaty) time. Stopped at Sucre for macaroons and a fancy-pants pastry cake thing. To go,'cause still stuffed from Tom's home cookin'.

Probably another early night tonight- but smonster, we must celebrate soon!

Let's hear it for the husbands cooking! Lewis cooked a gorgeous Thai mango curry chicken dish with caramelized Walla Walla onions. Then he made a boxed Zatarain's rice to help mellow things out and served it all up with tortillas. My nose is STILL running.

There will be ice cream in my future, yes there will.

I'm also nursing a sunburn after we went to a birthday party for one of Matilda's classmates at a nearby park.

They had a bouncy house and Emmett (as usual) was the free entertainment for a crowd of 5 year olds. There was much food including a selection of tamales.

Three hours later we staggered home. I should know that if I drink a beer out in the sun in the afternoon anymore I am going to be totally "rumped" (as they say on Adventure Time). That is, wiped out.

Took a nap and then walked down to Amoeba with Emmett where we saw Mick Jones from The Clash! Just shopping. Looking very natty in a pin striped suit and carrying an armload of vinyl under one arm. Even the cashiers got excited about that.

Now we're all noshing and nibbling and waiting for the new iCarly movie. Such is our life.

Let's hear it for the husbands cooking!

Pete is doing his version of cooking, which is going forth to Gordito's and bringing me an enchilada plate.

Peoples, sitting on the couch sewing should NOT make me tired. I do not like this game anymore.