Laura, ~ma for the procedure and healing to go well.

OMG, these KIDS. I SWEAR. This season has been rough!

Nora, you ain't seen nuthin' yet.

I am so grateful my sister has an apartment above the restaurant. Makes showering very convenient. And I don't have to deal with the lack of water pressure at my parents' house.

Maria -- I think making plans to move to Italy is a great idea. Esp if that is part of your future thoughts. Even if it doesn't work now , maybe later. And I pick some places that appeal to you in the US-- so that when you are ready to move - you have a plan and don't end up where you don't want to be .

Maria, it sounds like you are being realistic about things. A move may well be the type of change that you need, but no matter what it is going to take time to get everything together. If you were typing that you'd made up your mind and you had a one way ticket to Italy purchased for two weeks from today, I'd be very concerned. Looking at it as an option to consider as you get things sorted with your life I think is a wonderful thing.

In other pseudo Italian news, I have spent most of the afternoon working on some very stereotypical italian music that will apparently be the load/unload background music for some part of the new Cars land out here for The Mouse.

Morning, peeps! I'm working at home for the first time in forever. This is really turning out to be a tough year. But then they did warn me about the PhD second year blues. Lots of "What am I doing with my life?!" 'Piled Higher and Deeper'-style stuff.

Much, much moving~ma, sj! I hope the new place works for you.

Maria I think looking at all your options is a good idea. Your just exploring what you could do not making definitve plans.

I am having the morning from hell. Turned off the alarm instead of snoozing. Woke up again at the time I need to leabe the house but was doing okay then got delayed and misses the shuttle I needed so now Im really late and frakinf out this will cost me. I was a tiny bit late on Friday too.

Hello again from Shanghai. We spent the day catching up with family. (First, Biyi went with her parents to visit little aunt's husband in hospital. Ryan and I sat outside and people-watched.) We had lunch with her uncle and aunt in a very nice restaurant, buffet-style. (The ice cream was particularly good.) Ryan was particularly impressed that we were travelling by train. He was a big hit with the other commuters too.

The best news, we went over to big aunt's for dinner, and Biyi's cousin just happened to have a power cord for a Dell! So I'll be able to recharge my computer. We have to return it in a couple of days, but nonetheless we're set for the moment. (I like her big aunt and family a lot. She's been spending the last couple of days teasing Ryan by growling and then chasing him for tickles. Tonight over dinner Ryan was growling back at her, and then laughing hysterically at his own comic genius.)

Tomorrow, we're thinking the Shanghai Zoo. Oh, we walked around the neighbourhood too (big aunt's place is in walking distance from our hotel) and found a children's photography establishment. We've booked him in for the day after tomorrow.

Nora, you ain't seen nuthin' yet.

Yeah, I finished up Season 2 and I think I am going to need a little break before resuming.

Maria, it sounds like you are being realistic about things. A move may well be the type of change that you need, but no matter what it is going to take time to get everything together. If you were typing that you'd made up your mind and you had a one way ticket to Italy purchased for two weeks from today, I'd be very concerned. Looking at it as an option to consider as you get things sorted with your life I think is a wonderful thing.

What the other ND said!