I Went Out. To an authentic Baltimore experience thing, Save Your Soul Night at the Lithuanian Hall [link]

I just people watched, which was fascinating! All the MICA kids and their outfits! That part made me feel old. Less old were all the folks older than me, dancing their asses off with the hipster MICA kids. It was for Joe's bday, and he was a very happy man, surrounded by friends and students.

No John Waters sighting tonight, though. It's a common place to find him (when I'm not almost running him over in Hampden.)

And home by midnight, because I am that old. Well, no really, I need to decompress after the people and the noise. Market at 8:30!

Cass, or in 8 days you come visit and buy them from Grace. Or in 8 days you could order them and then visit in February and pick them up.

Best idea ever.

I think I could even do either of those. Love the idea of buying cookies from Grace. And seeing Grace!

Glad to hear it, Sox. That was super scary.

Liese, you are kinder about flies than I am! Or than anyone I know might be.

It's ridiculous! If I had just killed it to begin with, it would have been fine. But by the third day, I was somehow all invested in its survival! I don't know. I'm not right in the head, I think.

I'm sad because we're not going to NAMM again this year, and thus, no twins! And the company's doing good, we could totally have afforded it. But we didn't know that when planning, and also, we had way too much travel already.

I am going all nutty like I do before a trip, but with added cigar box guitars. Like, I had all these actual priorities, but they somehow got usurped by me having this unquenchable need to finish a second cigar box guitar to give to the guy the SO's recording with next week. So he'll use it on the album. Because that would be cool. And to do that, I have to finish it up tomorrow.

Not doing the million other things I should be doing before travel, no, building a guitar out of scrap.

But I've been having fun messaging with Matt about it! He's been very very helpful.

You are my cookie supplier, right Kat? Because I need cookies! Franny and I love Samoas, and Isaac loves the peanut butter patties. Sorry,Thin Mints.

Although the cookies I have been CRAVING lately? Cadbury fingers!

Ugh. Jacqueline's bronchitis is unresponsive to: inhaler, cough suppressant, ABs, steam. She's still hacking up a lung.

I have quarantined her in Emmett's room (he's at his Mom's).

Matilda decided to compound the evening by NOT SLEEPING. It's half past eleven, kid. Shut up and shut your eyes!

I want everybody to lose consciousness.

Isaac knows the deal. They are super yummy. And no one else liked them growing up so they were mine. Mine!

I love that we have Buffista cookie dealers. Pssst, want some Thin Mints? We've gotcha Samoas right here!

Dammit. Woke up an hour ago coughing and wheezing, and it hasn't calmed down at all. Just a couple of days ago I was at least fine as long as I stayed upright, but now... nope. Nothing but whistles and crackles and creaks, and *fuck* it hurts to inhale too deeply.

I'm not sure what to do next... acute care clinic twice in the last two weeks, chest x-ray Wednesday (all clear), Z-pack didn't help, ditto albuterol inhaler, nasal steroids started but only two days ago and no change yet, pulmonary function tests scheduled for 2/19 because there's nothing available any sooner. And I'm a sleepless zombie and making truly stupid mistakes at work, useless at home and horrifically behind on the editing work; I can't get myself to do more than a couple of pages before I space out and it's too tiring to think. The prospect of another five weeks of this before the next round of tests (and what then? What options are they going to come up with?) is utterly bleak.

And yet, compared to migraines and cancers and kidney stones and all the other loads various Buffistas have had to carry, some for years, this is *nothing*. I hate feeling so weak and unable to cope.

Oh fucking hell.

Just heard from an INCREDIBLY rude collections agent(is there any other kind?) about a credit card I never had. They're sending me something in the mail. The name of the bank its from gives me about nine million hits about fraud and what not.

I dealt with this a few years ago. Someone opened a credit card in my name and had some fun. Had it removed, filed whatever complaints, contacted the credit report guys, watched my credit reports etc. I'm trying to dig it all up right now.

Found it. 2007. How was that so long ago? Pulling my credit reports now.

OMG, NPR is tackling "another thing/think coming." Edit: the story will be here: [link]

JZ, can you take some more time off? You are really sick! Sometimes time and rest is all you can do, as much as that sucks.