I think I'm making these [link] and [link] for Noah's Halloween party next week.

Those cupcakes are too cute.

I'm back from the Stoop. It was kind of really awesome. 7 people recruited in advance from submissions for a 5-7 minute tale, 3 audience members drawn at random at intermission for a 3 minute story. The audience members really knocked it out of the park. Bonus: one was a teacher's assistant bringing a student group from a public school program, as part of a project to put on their own version of the Stoop. Plus the name Duck Acorn Jr.

The hosts were hilarious, as well. Apparently, their first Stoop in a while where one or the other or both weren't pregnant.

Of the 7 pre-planned, only one was surprisingly eh, but she told it with heart and enthusiasm (I think the enthusiasm was what tripped her up, actually.) There was a eyeball donor, uh, removal, specialist; editor for a local paper ; a professor and screenwriter; english teacher and horror writer; a state employee; a haunted house operator and a former history teacher turned cop.

I'd have to say the standouts were the eyeball technician, cop and state employee. Tears to your eyes and belly laughs, sometimes at the same time. Well told and really heartfelt material. Not as well told, but with a haunting loose end was the one from the editor. That one will stick around in my head for a bit ( partly because it speaks to an issue of mine.)

Turns out my friends (and neighbors) have been going to these for years, and one is actually part of Stoop lore.

I wish I could tell a good story. There is one coming in Feb: Gimme Shelter: Stories about finding, creating and losing a home....uh, yeah, speaks to me.

I have a problem with level 20, I tell you what. Die, pigs, die!

I hate when you have the sound on, the noises they make.

Barb, awesome news!

Stupid level 12.

Many of you are speaking a language I do not comprehend.

Why do so many people persist in typing &hearts? Do they not know the magic that is ♥? Is the extra ; just too much for them?

I'm trying to stop judging, but it's HARD.

I've had the house to myself during other school breaks when CJ has gone out to Cali on his own. But I'm feeling the lonely tonight. Luckily I have playoff baseball to keep me company.

I wish I knew how to do the magic heart.

♥. Which is why I don't get why the &hearts people just stop there.

Ah... I thought you were railing against the lessthanthrees or even [rassenfucken formatting. I am leaving it.]

I tend not to get some of the HTML tricks despite having hand-coded my pages for a number of years. I just do basic stuff. I tried white-fonting here once and completely screwed it up.

Managed to be productive despite depression today. Vacuumed the bathroom and long hallway in this wing. Spent 2 hours cleaning up after my siblings' mess in the kitchen. Did a load of laundry. Picked up windfall guavas (and threw most of them away since the slugs get to them so quickly). Planted a Linaria reticulata in the flower bed.

Nah, I totally get <3. &hearts may never stop boggling me, though.