Travelling by train is so much more romantic that travelling by plane.

And less gropetastic, too!

Liese, what a lovely dinner! And how wonderful that you got to share the wedding joy with that couple. May their happiness be as great and true as all the happiness we wish for sj and TCG.

Trudy, I'm glad you got to spend time with the Holts. You make me miss them, too.

Liese, that is so nice of you!

And I am insanely jealous of Trudy/Holts time! How much fun!

Congrats to sj and TCG! The Tea Cups! Your elopement sounds absolutely lovely.

Condolences, Dana, and health~ma to DCJ's Ray.

Yays for smonster, and I hope you still want me to call you at 6:30am, because I'm gonna do it in about six hours.

Sis and I were at the farmhouse this past week. This time, much more productive than last. We hauled out an SUV full of incredibly dirty old stuff that I'd forgotten we left there, and now there's only a few large pieces of furniture that we still have to arrange to get out of there. Papers actually got signed, money will soon trade hands, so the farm is finally sold. The new owner is impatient to have all our stuff finally gone, although he is being nice about it.

We'll go back one more time with a Penske and get the bed and the armoire and the huge dining room table, and the baby crib that can't be used as such anymore because it's totally unsafe (I survived it somehow), and the enormous glass display case that I've no idea what to do with, and the antique falling-apart sleds that my sister insists on keeping. Maybe next month, and then we'll be DONE done for reals. I expected to be sad about the selling "the old homeplace" but I'm not; it had become such a burden, financially and psychologically, and none of us want to live there, ever again. Better it should go to someone who really wants to live there.

Now, I have to find someone to haul away the giant heavy old piano that doesn't play anymore. It's funny that I'm suddenly wanting this piano. Restoring it, and then moving it here, would be prohibitively expensive, and I, myself, don't play anymore either, haven't since I was 10, and a week ago I didn't give a darn about the piano, but now? I wish I had a spare $15000 so I could get it all fixed and moved into my house, where it would sit for 20 years until I retire and maybe then I'd learn to play again. It's not like I don't have anything else from the old house - I have plenty. Makes no sense.

It's past midnight! Probation is officially done! Woot.

Also, on the final episode of first season of Avatar.

New photos of Ryan! Includes pics from my sister's family's visit. Starts here: [link]

Family photo: [link]

Ryan demonstrates his listening comprehension: [link]

My little boy stands! And possibly makes his debut on Dragonball-Z: [link]

I'm sorry for your loss, Dana.

Zenkitty, what a relief that the farm is sold. Best of luck on getting the last of those items out of there. Dunno what to say about your desire to restore that piano. But I understand that kind of regret - knowing a thing would be an expensive and pretty piece of clutter, it is still clutter, and would eventually weigh the soul.

Looking at pictures of Ryan certainly makes any day better. Love, love, love the look on his face in the one where he is standing.

Oh, Daniel, I am so sorry. Peace to your mother and you and Ray's family.

Daniel, I'm so sorry for your loss.

Billytea: Ryan is much too charming. Please try to get him to cease and desist before he starts to use his power of charmingness for evil.