I would not be able to get away with that. I still need to catch up on what was sent to me, and I can't make that anyone else's problem. But I'm assuming there's enough different between our jobs or workplaces to make that feasible in a way I don't understand.

Well, he sent out a huge memo detailing which parts of his job were being done by which other people in the month or so he's out, and the work moves fast enough that most things that are happening now will be done by the time he gets back. So he doesn't really need to catch up on what's happened.

Did you all hear about someone who was at Paul Rudd's play "Grace" in NYC in the balcony and who puked on patrons in the orchestra section?

It is an unbelievable story. The comments section of this article have me laughing and crying.

I loved "That disguise doesn't fool me, Lindsay Lohan." and the follow up "It's not a disguise, just hard livin'"

No way I am reading that article about the vomit.

God, I'm exhausted. I suppose, in hindsight, scheduling a blood donation for the first day of the week I move my parents was a bad idea. And I can't sleep in, because (a) too much to do today; (b) I can't sleep because I just lay there thinking of everything I have to do; (c) my cleaners are coming today.

And my second cousin (not really a cousin) emailed me yesterday to ask if he can sleep on my couch tonight. BAH. I of course said yes, but seriously I don't know how I'm going to get through the day.

And somehow I have to get copies of ALL my mother's prescriptions from all her doctors. I don't even know.

ION, good luck Grace!

My aunt's house is midway between Point Pleasant and Seaside Heights -- if you've see pictures of the Mantoloking Bridge pretty much destroyed, that's less than two miles north of their place, which they've owned for nearly 50 years.

It's the only house still in my family that was a childhood "place" for me. The others have all been sold, and in two cases so rebuilt as to be unrecognizable, even -- that didn't hurt as much as this.

Oh, Theo, I'm so sorry. It's so heartbreaking. I can't even imagine what LBI is like, or will be like for years to come. Wishing them strength.

Indeed, I'm so sorry, Theo.

I'll be cleaning out my parents' condo in the next few months, but there's minimal emotional connection to it, as they've only been there for three years.

The hardest thing is sorting through their stuff and identifying what goes to the new place (and can fit), what gets excessed (sold or dumped), what gets distributed to the kids. Dad has two plastic tubs full of old newspaper articles (like about the Kennedy assassination) and diplomas etc. I have no need for it, but it seems a shame to dump it, so into the garage it goes...

vibing for Grace.

Today is my Friday. I am very excited about it, but I should probably actually get some work done.

Consuela - as stressful as it may be, good on you for donating blood. CJ and I go tomorrow morning and then I get a bonus dentist appointment.

Theo, I'm so sorry.

I kinda want to kick everyone out of my house and have a day or two alone. I love my kids and K-Bug's boyfriend is nice enough, but I have a case of the grumpies and I want a break from being social.

The hardest thing is sorting through their stuff

I got given all my MIL's stuff when she died--that my BIL's family didn't want--and I despise having to pass judgement on the things she thought were valuable. Piles of old pictures without any identification, etc. When we go to the thrift stores around here, I can always tell when someone's estate got dumped because there are lots of things of a similar theme, and I can't help feeling sorry for the person who loved them who thought their kids might love them too.

Theo, that's so terrible.

We still have the only house that counts as a childhood home (I haven't lived there since the early 80s, but they moved back there), and I realise I don't know who gets it when they're dead.

Sorry--stuff is on my mind because my father just gave up two years of trying to add me to his investment accounts, and finally gave up (probably legall messy on a number of levels, since I work for an investment firm, never mind tax issues) and put my sister on them instead to hold them for me.

I have no idea what any of that is about.

GO GRACE.