Mmm, caramels.

So RI came over and is going to do some work. We had rice and beans and exchanged gifts (thank heavens she warned me, I basically pulled hers together when she was on the way) and I made cocoa. She's having hers without bourbon; such is the life of an intern.

Crafting is going okay - I got distracted at a bookstore for a couple of hours today, and was bummed that no one was coming over, but RI saved the evening. I need to take a break and prep for tomorrow.

Knitting is still going slow for me. Will enticed me down to Burlington today. We met and had lunch and then went to the mall so he could look for video game for his youngest and also get some tools at Sears. Then we went over to Barnes & Noble to look at games.

Then over to Best Buy, where he got the game he was looking for and Goodwill to poke around. We bought Sorry (2 bucks! I think it has all the cards) and a Land's End shirt for me ($4! It's a little to big but too pretty to resist) and then I had to drive home in the dark and it was snowing.

I did really well, I didn't have an anxiety attack even though there was a situation at lunch that would have sent me into a tizzy this time last month.

I just got really tired from the sensory overload, I haven't been to Burlington in about a month and haven't even been to some of the usual places I go when the weather's nice. So Tuesday I'm going to the used bookstore, and the library and the yarn shop and maybe Jo Ann's and just get out.

Well, well. Joe's mom showed. Color me surprised. She might very well have just saved Christmas.

Did you bust out a little square measuring device to see how many sizes her heart grew?

Cass, I think you and the Neph will find a place to connect if only by virtue of the fact that you see this as necessary and don't just treat him as a noisy thing that should just hush-up and love you.

Cass, I think you and the Neph will find a place to connect if only by virtue of the fact that you see this as necessary and don't just treat him as a noisy thing that should just hush-up and love you.

Well he should just love me. Right? Seriously, LOVE ME. Or hush up. Either.

heh

My onion allergy is a big handicap for eating out and about. At home I just substitute garlic and that works here. I cook with onion for the rest of the family.

I Am Not Allergic to caramel, just sayin'.

I have been testing the vegan waters a bit lately. Yesterday I discovered a still had a big container of mango chutney in the freezer that I had made when the mangoes were ripe and dished some over black beans and wild rice. It was very yummy. The key to eating well for me is cooking and avoiding restaurants.

Blergh. Stayed up too late, woke up late, and I'm feeling super avoidy because I have to deal with my car this morning. I'm trying to decide between two mechanics (both recommended by friends, both in the neighborhood) and am stuck in my classic decision paralysis. What if I pick the wrong one?

Okay. Call supvr to say I'm dealing with car first thing (esp since the weather is iffy), pick a mechanic (flip a coin if necessary) and make the call, go from there. Ready, set, go.

If you don't want to go with first instinct on the mechanics (my first choice), then pick a objective measure like exact distance from home, or google reviews.

smonster, I don't know if Park Place Tire & Auto is one of the places you are considering, but I love them. Also, GR (formerly ER) Automotive, which we found on RS's recommendation. (The reason we switched from GR to Park Place is that we needed work done over the week of the 4th of July and GR was closed that entire week.) Honestly, if your choice is between those two I don't think you can lose.

Sorry I didn't think to give you recs before.

Nora, yes! I just talked to Park Place. Now I have to see if I can get my car to limp a block and a half to them, so I don't have to get another tow (which would be covered by insurance, I think). I wish I'd thought to ask for recs Friday night before I got the original tow, but oh well.