I can't even fathom not being close to your siblings. What's the point of brothers and sisters otherwise?

I wish I didn't feel like such an alien around my brothers and sister. It feels like they make and change rules together, and don't tell me about it, and end up pouncing on me for not following their rules. That's part of why I always craved having my own family so much - I wanted the power to make the rules (except my rules were going to be nice, about forgiving and communicating and not shaming people).

Toddson - did you see the cute bull-type dog that was in The Killing this week?

I did. But I was kind of appalled, given the events of last episode. Kid is acting out by stomping animals - let's get him a dog!

For many cats it's the default attitude.

Milo is a generally pissed-off cat (tends to get called variations on 'bastard cat'), although compared to Merlin he currently seems like a cuddly angel. Py is friendly, needy, and always deeply confused. (He only ever goes out through the cat door in the back, and tends to stay in the garden. One day he went out the front door when it was open. We found him an hour later in next door's front garden, apparently trying to work out where he was.)

That's adorable, Toddson.

I'm not very close to my sister - we're just very different people. We have fun when we manage to get together, though, especially now that she has two little girls (fun involving such things as books, balloons and paint can be had).

My sister and I went through a period of estrangement, but we're best friends now. It's nice. She still drives me crazy, but I don't know what I'd do without her.

None of my cats are pissed-off. Currently.

I am really not close to any of my siblings. For one, there's a significant age gap between us. Two, they spent most of my childhood teasing, taunting and tormenting me, and I had no ally. Three, because of the age gap, they still tend to treat me like a child. My eldest sister is v. patronizing and bossy. My brother hasn't really had a conversation with me in 30 years. And I have absolutely nothing in common with my other sister...

I envy people who are close to their blood family. I never really spoke to my sisters as a kid, and it just kind of held over into adulthood.

Facebook has been a boon, actually. I've learned more about my sister Linda than I have in 50 years, and I'm able to have quick exchanges that are actually about things going on in our lives.

My mother considered her job a failure when it comes to our sibling issues, but...damn. Just because I refused to share a duplex with her as an adult. We lived very happily for three years with her a block and a half away--perhaps too happily together, since I ended up with a bunch of her friends, and she still considers me a CFerg-thief.

We email each other multiple times a day, and I know her well enough to be able to password protect things for her and not have to tell her the password.

I think it's a damned successful job, my mother did. I certainly feel better about my relationship with my sister than I do about myself, for instance.

I'm not sure if I would call my brother and me close or not. I mean, there's much less assault, but I'm not sure if that is greater understanding or the recognition that we have moved into separate weight classes. We mostly talk about politics and how my dad is a psycho. But he could totally be Dexter when he's not here and I wouldn't know about it. He has a conventional streak that's hard for me to fathom. Raylan the Cancer-fighter to Ginger's tumor: Next one's coming faster!

So it is now clear to me that I really can't drink any more. After working yesterday, I came home, showered, watched some TV, then slept for 10 hours straight. And I feel like I could sleep for another twelve. I've never been a big drinker, but if I'm going to feel this wrecked afterwards, the fun isn't worth it any more.

Stoopid getting old.

Sean, my latest Facebook status will excite you.