My sister does not (clearly) have one hesitation about drawing birthday focus. She was told firmly that the 14th and 16th don't count. The rule for the 15th was that any time you felt like cussing her out, just tell her "Happy birthday" and smile. She was wished many many times, especially by the one cousin (mama bear friend tried to tell everyone to be nice to her..."Fuck that. I'm not being nice to her. I'm never fucking nice to her and I'm not fucking starting now. Fuck off." And, in fact, said cousin complimented my sister's driving and it was the closest to an argument that I saw happen all weekend "T, don't." "M, I'm serious--you're good." "Seriously, stop it." "You're good." "Stop." (whispers) "Told you I couldn't be nice...") but by the 16th people were gleefully cussing her out once again, and she was appropriately pouty.

ita, I thought Coupling UK was pretty funny.

ita, I thought Coupling UK was pretty funny.

I thought it was the funniest damn thing I saw on television the entire four years I was in America.

I am so excited to have no plans on Saturday, I don't even know

I wish! I never have Saturdays off because that's my dad's hiking day and I have to sit with Mom. (I also do their laundry, change the linens, clean the kitchen, straighten the house, throw out spoiled food, make them lunch, and clip the dog's nails.) And I don't get tomorrow off because I'm touring this facility with them, so it's going to be an exhausting weekend in which I earn lots of parental karma-points.

Ah, well. I'll survive: if we can get them into this place a lot of the burden will be carried by the residence staff, and I'll only be on call for medical and financial issues.

My new editor said I did an excellent job writing up the police log. Now I just start to insert random Arcata Eye type pieces until I have a well-read blotter.

Happy Birthday, Sue! And Firefly!

Coupling (UK) was the sitcom that helped me remember sitcoms were funny in the dry period between...Frasier, maybe, and whatever I liked next. But for a while there, I was getting snobby and snotty, and then I'd remember that all the way up until Jeff left kept me really consistently doubled over in half-hour hysterics.

Happy Birthday, Sue! I hope you have a great day!

Sine qua non was the bullshit snobby term of the weekend with me and my parents (referring to my sister's speechwriting indiscretion). As a result of making sure we were defining it correctly, I found out that the "proper" plural is sine quibus non, which I urge everyone to run out and use as much as possible.

Slow and steady wins the race...

I found out that the "proper" plural is sine quibus non, which I urge everyone to run out and use as much as possible.

That is pretty cool.

My friends just named their new baby girl Jinx. Unexpected but kind of charming.

(smonster, your friend C S-H's brother and his wife).