Dana, I'm sorry about the work and family problems your DH has to deal with.

Pix, that duvet cover is lovely. Ginkgo trees are nifty!

I've reached the stage of ongoing insomnia where everything is slightly distant and unreal. It's not unlike being mildly drunk. Coding work-arounds for our craptastic CMS today is going to be exciting--no idea what will come out of my fingers. Do modern browsers accept the blink tag? My org might find out.

Pix, your new duvet is lovely! Don't fret. (It's just a duvet. It doesn't mean what you think.)

Seconding the request for kitten-duvet-surfing video. That's hilarious. My cats do that with the tablecloth. Less hilarious.

some management tactic to me--it involved quadrants of motivation and ability, and indicated what techniques you use when you're dealing with someone that was, say, highly motivated but low on capability, or both highly capable and highly motivated, etc.

Where might I find this thing? I can use all the help I can get.

Pix, I looked for a duvet cover for months and months before finally finding something. All the white-based covers - do none of these people have pets and/or kids? So I feel your pain, and yes, it's a lovely and very reasonable duvet cover.

Percipients are people who percieve things, clearly.

Percipients should almost be a word. Almost.

My 7AM just got cancelled and so did my 7:30AM so fuck alla y'all.

BECAUSE I AM AT THE OFFICE.

However, the muffin thing worked out, and the other people here are appropriately understanding (they do this all the time???) and, as noted by the Cowgirl, TGIF.

Zenkitty, let me try and remember the keywords he used and see what I can find. If not, he's back in the office Monday and I can ask him then.

Ginger,

Are you sure the person had spellcheck on?

some management tactic to me--it involved quadrants of motivation and ability, and indicated what techniques you use when you're dealing with someone that was, say, highly motivated but low on capability, or both highly capable and highly motivated, etc.

Oh, our sales team used to use this. Also a similar system for mapping clients against a grid of "high-value" vs "high-maintenance" to avoid wasting a lot of time on clueless people who never spent any money.

Oh, my gracious heavens. Check out these absolutely beautifully stunning photographs. [link]

From the article: Kirsty Mitchell's late mother Maureen was an English teacher who spent her life inspiring generations of children with imaginative stories and plays. Following Maureen's death from a brain tumour in 2008, Kirsty channelled her grief into her passion for photography.

She retreated behind the lens of her camera and created Wonderland, an ethereal fantasy world. The photographic series began as a small summer project but grew into an inspirational creative journey.

Jilli, you will love these photos, but the story may be a crypoint for you. Also, anyone who loves fashion and costuming and stuff. I might need this book.

Unlike most of the management speak bullshit that filters down to me, it seemed more like shorthand than a fad. Our CIO has a few things she pushes and tries to make as snappy and memorable as possible, and they're reasonably sensible too. Helps wash the bad taste of Michigan manage-by-headline out of my mouth.

In fact I might need to go back to the team stuff she was preaching when we separated from our parent company--that storming norming and performing might be able to help some of my frustrations with my current project team(s). Problem is, they're not being encouraged to ID strongly, so it's hard to take us all through the steps. They're just people helping out, not team members with something, anything, invested, even if it's only their reputations...

The nice other guy who's here gave me some cherries. It is easing the morning. If memory serves, my manager is out, the other business analyst is working from home, and my boss might be out as well today. And all but half an hour of meetings have been cancelled so far. I am not moving that 30 minutes.

Kirsty, 36, who has a background in fashion and costume design, collaborated with hair and make-up artist Elbie Van Eeden.

Oh, OKAY. Because...Jesus...those things are better than some fashion magazines. Certainly more inventive, but definitely high quality.

I do love the "word" percipients. It reminds me of Parsippany, NJ.

I also think I am less red now that I have peeled some. You know how you sometimes don't know how bad you feel until you feel a bit better-- I think I am feeling better today. The water is really helping. My boss is a pediatric nurse and worked with Stevens-Johnson Syndrome patients, and reminded me that it takes a lot of water to basically make new skin for my body.

I am also sort of weirded out by how only strange health things happen to me. This rash peeling thing also happened 2 years ago, and then a very similar thing involving just my face happened twice when I was in my twenties. I was also mauled by a cat. I also spent a year and a half in my twenties with a pain in my side that no one could find an answer for (now I think it might have been a precursor to my hip). And twice (also in my twenties) I have had lymph nodes in my armpit and groin balloon up and then deflate, again, for no real reason.

Other than that, I think I have only been to the doctor for depression, 2 ear infections, and one bronchitis since 1995.