I have exactly one memory of preschool: I was on the stage working, and my preschool geek buddy Darren finished before everybody else and got to go down to the play area first, where he got to play with the Lite Brite.
 
He was also the one programming the Apples in elementary school while we were all killing our Oregon Trail pioneers so we could leave gravestones. That guy grew up to be a succesful software developer.
 
I realize that is not helpful advice. But it does support everyone else`s suggestions that she likely won`t remember the trauma. Which won`t make it any easier while she`s going through it, but it sure looks like a good decision for the long run.

Also life is going to continue to get tougher. More and more stuff you we grew up having ways to get without money will only be available with money. Your college cost more than mine (in real dollars and as a percent of what you could earn). Her college will cost more than your unless the political direction this is nation is traveling changes. So an opportunity to get on a better financial footing is really important for her long term future too.

You have all my wishes for a good decision, Zmayhem, and an easy adjustment, whenever she makes it.

Sox, I have several of those for my fountain pens! I had the schmancy leather one from Levenger as a gift, but I had more pens than it held, so I went looking for alternatives. A seamstress was offering them on ebay, made of vintage fabrics with vintage button and bead ends on the ties. I love them dearly, and so do my coddled pens. I never imagined knitters would coddle their tools as well, but it makes sense. Nice!

Tonight's lesson is: just pick up the damn phone.

Our a/c died in August, and some friends loaned us 2 window a/c units, which have been sufficient for the rest of the hot days. We had a cool spell a couple of weeks ago, but suddenly this week it's in the 90s again, and is supposed to be until the weekend. Jesus.

The friends who loaned us the window units are moving to Boston, THIS Friday. (It was unexpected for them, but D. got a job offer that was too sweet to turn down.) So they had a going-away party tonight, and so we pulled the window units out of the windows and bundled them up (a lengthy process when carried out by The Boy) and took them to the party tonight.

Last night, when we were planning the logistics of it, The Boy asked, "Should we just offer to buy these from them, so they don't have to move them?" And I asked him, "Do you want me to call R. right now and find out?"

But we dithered, like we do, and decided not to. And then today The Boy spent an hour pulling out the 2 window units and packing them up and loading them in the car.

So (you can see where this is going, right?) we get to the party, The Boy hauls both a/c units out of the car and onto the front porch, and our friends say, "Oh my god, I meant to tell you, you guys should just keep these! It's too hot, you need them, and we don't want to move them."

Heh.

So back into the car they went, and back home with us they came, and The Boy had to haul them out of the car and into the house (and, for one, up into the attic to store, because we're banking on these next 2 days of 90-degree weather being the last of it), and he re-installed the bedroom one.

Good lord. I mean, I'm *really* grateful, because I *loathe* this hot goddamn weather. But we should have just picked up the phone and called last night and it would have saved us a lot of trouble.

Headline:

Paleontologists Discover World's Horniest Dinosaur

How do they KNOW?

Best part? The dinosaur was found in Utah.

I find that highly amusing.

But we should have just picked up the phone and called last night and it would have saved us a lot of trouble.

I learn this lesson often. But I still loathe the phone, so...

Worse is that my sister has a blocked number these days and I really can't be skipping her calls right now so I have to pick up every unknown call I see come in. Yes, I twitch.

McDonalds now offers 50-piece Chicken McNuggets.

$9.99 at the one McDonalds I was at yesterday.

$14.99 for the combo.

I'm looking at Jupiter and its moons right now, AIFG!

Take that, geocentrism!