I had a blacksmith at the bar after work!

At the bar? Very kinky.

I had an insurance database job once. I ended up with a whole little notebook full of odd names. The one that sticks in my mind was Kosmyk Moses Jones.

Then there was the kid named INXS and the older ladies I worked with were baffled: "Inks-sis?" "Eee-nix?"

I'm packing! Really! Dang. Today was not the day for three hours of hanging with the fam, plus bonus! family drama. My oldest niece thinks she's a rockstar and everyone's lives should center around her. She's used up all her vacation and sick time this year, going round the country with her fave heavy metal bands, and now she needs a half-day off to go to the opening of one of her art shows, and her boss won't let her go. She's all bent out of shape, and my sis and I are all, what the hell did you expect? you used up all your time, so of course we are stupid fuckers who don't get how important this is to her, and her boss hates her and is out to ruin her life. (Her boss does not, in fact, like her at all, and is probably trying to force her to quit, but ISTG I don't blame him. She's a horrible employee.)

So anyway, now it's almost 10pm and I haven't done half what I needed to today, and I'll probably be up half the night when I should be sleeping. I should have just walked away from the whole thing, but then I wouold have been leaving my sister on her own, and she can't deal with it.

Thanks, everyone! It worked! Almost immediately after I posted, I got a text that they got it started and would be on the way shortly.

x-post from Beep Me!: Four hours--and a whole lotta ~ma later--it magically started. They were so eager to get home they had the throttle at 102% flying at 548 knots. They made it from Elizabeth City, NC to Georgetown, DE in 14 minutes. Now to tear the jet apart to figure out what the hell is going on...but not tonight. They just want to drive home and get some sleep.

brenda, amych whittled it down perfectly. "Airplane sad!" is about the easiest way to put it. The onboard auxiliary power unit (APU) is needed to start up the engine so the plane can go "Woosh!" If the APU goes on the fritz, there is no starting anything, and you're flying only in your dreams. The fixed base operator (FBO) at each airport can provide you--in addition to fuel--important things like mechanics and parts to keep the plane in working order. By the time they got to NC to refuel, the mechanics had gone home for the day, so if they couldn't fix it they were shit outta luck until morning. Luckily, it finally started. He should be home in the next hour or so, only 6 hours later than he said. It's a good thing we had no plans tonight!

Calli, I keep meaning to say "Go you!" on the student piloting. If you ever have a yen to go north, fly up to KFDK. The airport is 10 minutes from our house and it's no trouble to pick you up for a day of fun.

I gave him a quarter and he licked it...

Anybody watching L&O:SVU? Are supposed to take the new ADA seriously?

Hmm. I went to a farm stand. I bought so sort of weird bright red squash.

Red kuri, maybe?

I'm not watching Sherlock, because I've already seen it uncut. Today I cooked a bunch, talked on the phone with family, ordered a birthday present for my niece, ordered a new winter coat, cleaned the bathroom, dinked around doing random maintenance things on the interwebs, and watched Maxed Out. Now I'm finishing off a salad while watching Hoarders: Buried Alive.

Red kuri, maybe?

Nope. It looks like a red pumpkin, except with some bumps on the bottom.

I'm not watching Sherlock, because I've already seen it uncut.

But this will be in gorgeous HDness. At least that's how I am rationalizing it, personally.

How long are they originally?

Oh, forget my L&O:SVU question. Oops.