Yay sumi! 17 years seems a long time... but then I reflect that I've been in my "new" house for, um, 12 years.

Buying a house was so complicated that I'm astounded sometimes that anyone, ever, voluntarily buys another.

I especially love the distance shot with her feet off the ground. Really gorgeous pictures.

Yeah, that one really got me. I'm so happy for them. Nice very smart kids.

Such sweet photos!

I just sent off the list of prize winners for the writing contest I'm running this year. Eight kids, $6000 in total prizes. Seems like a lot of money, right? And I'm really happy because one of the winners is a kid I know well, and he's just such a great guy and he's done such great work for me over the years. And his father just died. Winning would be a nice bright spot for him in what must have been a really really crappy month.

I love the idea of photographers having elopement packages. And I love the bride's shoes. I've never been to a wedding with broom-jumping, probably because I haven't been to a black people's wedding that wasn't second generation Jamaican, and that's not particularly one of our traditions--the bougies didn't grab it like American black families did.

I figure that no matter how unique and special your pictures are for you, there are standard dos and don'ts for the photographers--some pictures they make sure they have to get, for instance. I think I would make sure I had a picture like this. It's easy, it's sentimental, I like.

So I'm pissed at my sister's friend to whom I sent megabytes of art and hasn't replied. "She doesn't reply to email" my sister's explanations starts. What? You mean she doesn't know how to act? If you have an email address, and you encourage people to communicate with you that way, you should have some way planned to follow up--if typing into a computer freaks you out, write a damned postcard. Do something. She specifically asked for this stuff. I'm not even asking for "thank you", I'm asking for "I got it" since it was large enough I didn't know if her email host would bounce it.

But the end of my sister's explanation is "...plus her husband just got into an accident where his truck was totalled (he's okay, but the other guy died)."

Oh. Okay. Clearly I should usefully have been irritated a week ago, but I pretty much have to write this off as never gonna hear back, period. Yikes. I can't even imagine the sort of space they're in right now--my sister didn't say who was at fault in the accident. I...that doesn't come off in the wash. Whoa.

Ugh ita, yeah, that's just not a good place to be, after an accident like that.

that doesn't come off in the wash

God, no, how awful.

Congrats on the new place, sumi! Good luck moving.

Winning would be a nice bright spot for him in what must have been a really really crappy month.

That's really sweet.

I can't even imagine the sort of space they're in right now--my sister didn't say who was at fault in the accident. I...that doesn't come off in the wash. Whoa.

Yikes is right. Ugh. Poor all of them!

Beautiful photos!

Ugh bad accident!

That's all I got for Saturday.

Anyone have experience with Geico as an insurer? Preferably home insurance, but I'd appreciate any stories.

Anyone have experience with Geico as an insurer? Preferably home insurance, but I'd appreciate any stories.

We have them for car insurance and they've been great. They have a really well run and helpful roadside service (which I've had to use multiple times, including getting broken down in Bakersfield with my phone running out of power).

Also, when the current car was out of action for four months they were super accommodating about changing our policy so we had a minimal payment and then just changing it back when the car was running again. That was something they suggested which saved us a good chunk of change we needed for car repairs.

So their customer service is excellent.