At the Fl Welcome Ctr, scarfing some cold chicken. ::waves at Laura::

~ma for you uncle, sj.

Love to you, bonny, and peace be on your spirit.

Oh, Erika, I wish you didn't have so much fodder for the bitter funny, but damn do you bring the funny.

As for the gun thing, I'm on my way to see my mom's family, where confederate flags abound and there's a shotgun in every closet. My uncle goes by Gunpa to his grand kids. This could be fun!! ...hey, look how cute my dog is!!

waves at smonster I hope you have brushed up on your conversation diversion skills.

Particularly since they feel they need freedom from first graders.

I like guns. I think the second amendment makes sense for a country that was born of citizens using their own guns to fight an occupying army. I can believe that without thinking that anyone needs a 30-round magazine or an assault weapon.

There are 303 million guns already out there. What scenario are you envisioning that would require a few more assault weapons? Why not save your money for missiles and nukes?

Captain Logic has left the whole discussion.

smonster, that made me go "eek"...and then I was like "Hey, isn't your dog a pitbull? They'll TOTALLY be into that..." Um.

I am lazing about the house, wishing I were lazing about my sister's house instead. GRRR. The fact that Chicago got almost no snow, apparently, makes me extra extra bitter that my flight was canceled and I have to take a ridiculous itinerary and get in two days late. Such a waste of good money. PLUS, now I'm going to have to beg to keep my frequent flyer status, because it was going to get me just enough, and now I won't. ARGH.

meara, you can get credit for your original routing. You just have to submit it to the airline. Best way is to call the elite status number and have them handle it.

I'm sad, because I'm losing all status. I just don't travel anymore. Need to find a job that allows me to do so.

Yeah, that's pretty much what I'm planning to do, maria. But it's just extra hassle (luckily I will be pretty darn close anyway--within about 500 miles, I think). And makes me feel like I"m cheating (even though I'll have over 90K miles for the year!)

Mostly pissed because tonight when I go to the airport, I"ll have to use the REGULAR security lanes! Like a PEON! :P

You're not cheating. The airline allows it. You would have flown your original itinerary if you could have.

I know. The loss of security lanes and priority boarding is what I'm lamenting the most.

I'll do your job. Just don't expect me to have any chemistry/biology background....

I'll do your job. Just don't expect me to have any chemistry/biology background....

Heh. Mostly it's just reading a lot of medical records and seeing if they make sense. All my medical and pharmaceutical knowledge is on-the-job training.

To help everyone feel better: dogs in scarves.

And the inimitable Jim C. Hines came up with what "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" would look like if you turned Autocorrect loose on it:

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
had a very shifty nose.
And if you ever saw it,
you would even say it flows.

All of the other desk deer
used to laugh and call him Benares.
They never let porn Rudolph
join in any reindeer glams.

Then one foggy Crust ass Eve,
Santa came to say,
“Rico Leo with your nose so Brit,
won’t you fuse my sleigh to goth?”

Then all the reindeer lobed him,
as they sh*tted out with glee,
“Rifleman the red-nosed reindeer,
you’ll go down in hosiery!”

(edited for line breaks)

I'm working from home and actually getting a fair bit done. Careful application of spicy Chinese food is helping my cold a bit, and looking at the gray, cold, windy day without actually having to go out into it is de-freakin-lightful.