Turns out Pumpkin's egress was via the deck. As an experiment, I let her out again. She promptly hopped to Anna's. Rolled around a bit. And then made her way to the edge and started to clamber over the bottom rail to leap down to the railings 6 ft below or so. Ah, no.

Mystery solved. And I now have one cat crying at the front door and another at the back.

Suzi, maybe I'll go donate blood tomorrow too! Then we could be blood-donation-triplets.

Woot, Kat!!!

Once again I'm hanging out at the Shell station after 9 on a Wednesday.

Congratulations Aurelia. Hurrah Kat.

I still have never given blood. For a long while, I was ineligible, but I think that has passed. Then there was the issue of the doubling-over cramps I got last time they bled me for tests (I was ineligible to donate at the time.) And now? Bloodmobile is at the Y when I'm either heading to swim and starving or post-swim and starving. Which seems like a bad combo. Plus, I'm still askeered of the cramping I had just for lots and lots of vials.

In Boston, looks like the mayor is telling him to go away not threatening any legal action.

I'll be interested to see how their CEO reacts to a "We don't want your kind around here" message.

I think every fancy ice cream brand should have a fancy vanilla bean flavour. But it also has to taste good--I don't know if this fancy brand is trying to tell me I don't like *real* vanilla (because I think they're lying liars then), but there's an aftertaste to it...maybe I'm tasting the organisms. Still, I was robbed. Damned Gelsons and the post-Batman high.

Kids have been officially introduced to The Hobbit. They love it, but warily. They suspect there will be scary scenes.

I said "walkies." I am ashamed. [link]

Sunsets in the desert are gorgeous. All those shades of blue arching across the sky, and enough light in the west to silhouette the mountains. Nearly ten o'clock, and it's still noticeably pale over there.