I'm glad they were able to fix your mom's car, Ginger. I bet that's a load off your mind.

That's great that you're getting that much press, Barb. I empathize with the difficulty of promo, though. I have had to be brutal with myself to get me to do it (although it may not seem that way to observers). Hard to be assertive and positive. Try to look at yourself the way you'd look at a friend - you probably wouldn't have any trouble pimping a friend's work.

smonster, I agree with Windsparrow. Moving, stress, new job...you've got plenty of reason to take it easy. Eventually the work-life balance will come. But in the meantime, don't drive yourself to a nervous breakdown by not giving your body the recovery time it's asking for.

Raised bed *finally* got finished today. Only got a couple things transplanted before dusk hit, though. The peas have been in six-packs so long they've started to bloom and form little peapods. Hope they don't die from transplant shock.

Besides being brutally tiring, this day was pretty cool. People were in decent moods. And the video I posted last night has garnered some nice comments and was blogged on a ukulele blog. So I'm pretty chuffed.

I hope everyone's having as good a weekend as they can.

Low pain sensitivity has its disadvantages. Took a spill of the steps the other morning. Found a really severe cut/scrape only that evening after it was infected, red and inflamed. Doused in antibiotic ointment and finally under control, but I'm pretty sure if I'd noticed it and clean and antibioticed it right away it would never have got infected. Today, three days later I put pressure on a spot on my wrist, leaning on a table and screamed like a 3 year old. Does not hurt otherwise, have to put pressure on just right, but it really hurts a lot to put pressure on it. Can see a little swelling when I peer at it really closely. Does not even hurt much to wiggle it with my thumb. Like there is a small bone on both wrists right where the wrist joins with the hand, straight down from the pinky. Only that bone is bigger on one hand from another.

ouch! I'm glad it's looking better, Typo.

Uhm. Jilli. Nissa said hi. My world has gotten tiny.

Ouch, Typo! Does not sound at all fun.

So, my husband, who is a prince amongst men, spent most of today working on a graphic based on a description from the book. In it, I mention a t-shirt the drum and bugle corps has as a souvenir item (a big thing in corps) so I thought it would be fun to have the graphic designed and have a few shirts made up as promo giveaway items.

This is what Lewis came up with and I'm just staggered by how cool it looks.

[link]

Wow that is cool. So Lewis is a professional Graphic Artist? (Sorry, I'm sure you've said, but for someone who successfully does academic work, I have the memory of a hummingbird.)

It's great, Barb!

Typo, I hope it takes care of itself but if it doesn't, I hope you get into see someone soon. Sounds very ouchy.

Hugs and ~ma to whoever needs them. Also to Jars and her friend, for that's what I remember from skimming last night. `istas, I vote for our lives to be easier and more fun. And Barb - I loved the swords in DH's graphic.

ION, I think we need a commenting policy in Hollaback Israel, but not for protecting the humble readers from the trolls. You see, in my site, we need one in order to protect the trolls from me. I just have to resist the urge the edit their comments and hunt them down and humiliate them publicly, and I know it'll lead to nowhere good and foamy, but damn, I kind of really want to.

(Because apparently I'm running a "not very nice" site if I don't allow "other opinions" (read: open tongue-lashing). I love it when the assholes forget that expressing "other opinions" means they allow shouting obscenities to their mother/sister/wife/daughter, because obviously they're right and I'm just a petty, NGA female who hates teh Man!)*

• so what if a tiny part of this sentence is true.

Uhm. Jilli. Nissa said hi. My world has gotten tiny.

What. The. Good lord, the world has gotten very tiny! Tell her hi for me!

Shir, I suggest checking out Shapely Prose's comment policy for some inspiration as to what to implement for your site.