I am at work. Ok, I'm at lunch at the moment. Dunno when I can leave.

But I did just buy a new winter hat. Recycled cashmere. Exciting!

Eta: I asked the store greeter for stocking caps. She didn't know what I was talking about. Is stocking cap an old fogeyism?

Call or e-me if you have any Nook questions, Laura. Just, um, not today. Because I sound like Gollum's more evil cousin.

I coulda left a while ago, but someone scheduled a noon meeting without, apparently, telling anyone. So, along with having to call most of the participants to tell them its on, I'm eating pound cake on mute at my desk.

I got JZ her favorite comfort soup - the Vietnamese hot and sour from Mai's on Clement (with pineapple and tomato). I've never been able to recreate it properly at home so I googled up the recipe and the secret ingredient is: tamarind!

Here's the recipe.

And I ate my leftover jambalaya and it was pleasingly spicy. I think everybody needs some spicy food for the new year.

Matilda's off at a playdate with her friend Norah (they were both up at 7:30 planning their outfits and wittering about it until the 11am actual Playdate), and Emmett's back at his mom's. He'll be snowboarding on New Year's Day, so that should be a blast for him. He really enjoys it and only gets to go once or twice a year.

And I got a new book to read at the Alameda Courthouse next week when I'm sorting out my car's registration ticket crap from 2011.

How do you mute pound cake?

How do you mute pound cake?

so I googled up the recipe and the secret ingredient is:

Anyone else disappointed it's not love?

OMG, my mother just gave me the saddest children's book about a dead cat! How could anyone ever read that to a child? I don't think I could have gotten through it even before my cat was dead. Edit: this one [link]

I had use it or lose it time to burn, so I took today off. It's been nice.

AND, Jesse, it's by the woman who wrote Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day.