Obviously it's just a zipperless fuck (did I get it right this time?) with Levine. Problem addressed!

I think I've been much more surface chatty since my mother got sick. People behind counters, stocking rooms, driving taxis--no one is safe from the extra two or three sentences (bare minimum!) from me. But conversation conversation? It churns up something terrible in my gut and makes me feel like there are great big empty spaces in there.

She sounds happier. But I don't know if she's faking it for me. I'm certainly faking everything but my intent for her. Portacath in nine days, chemo starts a week later.

Gluten question: my father has been avoiding it, in order to try and quell his rheumatoid arthritis. Is that valid science, or woo woo chicken waving? I know gluten has been the cool thing to cut out, but I do know that when it's the right thing to drop, it really makes a difference. I'd just hate for all his food preparers (a group that does not include him) to go to any extra difficulty if it's not valid.

Zipless! You were close.

I don't know that I've heard of gluten affecting anything but digestion, but I could be wrong.

The cat started marching all over me at my usual work wakeup time this morning. That would be five. Of course, his little pea brain doesn't understand weekends, and it sure as hell doesn't understand time change, so I had 10lbs of cat walking back and forth across me at four o' clock this morning.

Dammit, I typed zipless first, and thought it must be wrong because it was my first idea. Second guessing is such a bad idea, up until it's a good one.

I don't know that I've heard of gluten affecting anything but digestion

Actually, while I haven't gone completely GF, my fibro flareups have been fewer and less nasty since I cut wheat from my diet. Nasty, arthritis-like pain is one of the main symptoms, and I haven't had that for a while.

Zipless fucks reminds me I want to get Erica Jong's new book. Not getting to meet her at BEA was a huge disappointment, but at least a fleeting one, since I didn't know she would be there till I saw her at the signing table.

That's interesting about the gluten, Anne.

HaHA! Bathroom half-cleaned already! (The easy half: toilet, sink, mirror. Still to come: tub, floor.)

I have to say, HGTV is brilliant for small bursts of cleaning, since you can skip the middle of the show no problem.

Today I go skate (after a week off, so I will suck). Then to the office for a few hours to catch up on work which I was not able to do while going to All The Meetings in the World while in Minneapolis last week.

It's raining like a mofo, so yard work is out. I now have alternate big plans for the afternoon--a lavender-scented bath, followed by slounging in my flannel pjs.

Zipless fuck reminds me....oh, wait, I'm typing out loud. Never mind. As you were, folks.

I think it's about time for a nap.

I was up for a couple three hours, in which I witnessed Pumpkin getting the crazies and she and Loki actually PLAYING TOGETHER. Well, it was more diving and darting into and out of the laundry basket in turn, rocketing into the cat tree thing, etc. But they were playing. Yay!

And then I went back to sleep, sorta. Until my neighbor called, which was motivation to get up and get moving.