I was also very briefly a...Campfire Girl? I think? It didn't last long. Whereas I was a girlscout from about 3rd grade until high school.

I was fascinated with all the hospital-set middle grades books, but I didn't see the parallel with my own back brace... I guess that was a grass is greener sort o thing.

Congratulations Jilli! Hooray Nook, Kat!

Ugh, HPF is fending off some bug - she's fine during the day but has a little bit of a low grade fever at night. Ever since she had strep a couple years ago, this pattern results in wicked night terrors. So she screamed at my face and sobbed in my arms last night inconsolably until we managed to get her calm enough to snap out of that portion of her sleep pattern. This morning? Remembers none of it. Happy as a lark. I am a frazzled, shredded bundle of nerves. The dr. says its fever triggered. Dr Internet says its nothing to worry about. Why do I feel like punching someone ?

So that is how we wrapped up HPF's 7th year. Going out swinging. Year 8 dawned bright and sunny.

May it stay bright and sunny for HPK.

I'm up earlier than I'd like -- ambien couldn't keep me down. I want....I don't know. I'm sick and vaguely congested. No good.

Skipping yet again (does a skipping-daily habbit count as any sort of skimming? Or does skimming have to include the not-ignoring-ongoing-conversations bit, at least some? I think the latter) because, according to the Buffista Calendar, today is sumi's birthday.

Happy birthday, sumi! With lots of wishes for a great day and a wonderful year!

Happy birthday, sumi!

Happy birthday, sumi!!

So, I'm totally taking a sick day today. I've been coughing like a crazy person for close to a week and haven't slept well. I am hoping to rest and get some good sleep today and try to knock this out of me.

Happy birthday, sumi!

And happy belated, ChiKat. Now you and everyone else should feel better ASAP.

Happy Birthday Sumi! And happy belated, ChiKat!

And because birthdays deserve their own posts (and because I try to, well, not ignore the news around here, because that's impossible, especially with all the family members and friends who are in the danger range, but find ways to remind myself of how-to-deal-with-them): the USA Thanksgiving is in a week from now, right? The 22nd of November?

I'm asking because each year I'm organizing the Slacker Secret Santa, and I usually try to start collecting people's e-mails right after Thanksgiving (I try not to mix any holidays, so I wait for one to be behind those who celebrate it before starting to talk about another).

Are there people interested in doing the Slacker Secret Santa this year? If so, I'll be happy to arrange it this year, as well (it's one of the few things I manage to not-skip, and not even skim, by organizing, and I enjoy it a lot).

If there aren't any people interested, then of course it's fine, too! I'll just have to find some other way to insert the "oh-my-goodness-so-not-tiny Jewish not-Santa" remark, that's all. Because I'm so-not-tiny by now, I really do have to make that remark here, where it's not face-space, just to make sure the what's-going-on is a bit clearer.

Oh, look - I just did find that other-way. Hmm.

!!!

Congrats!

And I'm in for Slacker.