Aw, Andi. It's you they're celebrating, not your outfit. It's time for sandals to go on sale, maybe you could find something inexpensive but sparkly? I'm sorry you are stressing about this.

Continued ~ma to TCG! And continued humanity~ma to your in-laws, sj.

Dude, autocorrect is coming up with some weird shit tonight. Hope I'm catching it all.

Happy road-tripping, Suzi!

Liese, I love that story.

Pix, what a bummer you missed that meal! I hope you have fun at your reunion.

I didn't have sex with anyone in college until the summer before my senior year (hello first girlfriend who was someone else's at the time) but there was a fair amount of making out.

I'm in Raleigh at my sister's apartment, awake at 4:20 am. I just ate some cookie dough, because she bought it for me; I couldn't eat it earlier because migraine. I hope I sleep in the car tomorrow, feh.

mearing with a bit of skimming. Sorry if I missed any ~ma needed announcement:

mostly I am glad to hear that the worst of the anxiety has passed.

Me too. Take care, Steph. And the buffistas advice are good.

(3) adequate self-care.

Ooh. I need to make a similar list too. And make sure I will do the stuff I write in it.

In this part of the world, giving a teenager a rifle is fairly common

Can you please explain to a non-American the difference between giving a teenager a rifle or a gun? I'm having trouble to wrap my mind around it. Maybe because I live in another certain part of the world that hands to most of its 18 years old assault rifles, and that with time I became a supporter of for pro-civil society organizations (such as New Profile [link] and Gun Free Kitchen Tables [link]

Andi, that letter is fantastic.

Glad to hear the interview went well, Maria.

Suzi, good to read your vacation updates!

WHERE THE FUCK DID THE WORDS COME FROM????!!!!

If someone in the recent past week or so wrote them, they might reappear in certain climate conditions. It happened to me before.

Interview ~ma to TCG.

Oh, and my braces were removed yesterday. Wore it for almost 5 years. It feels a bit weird now, as if something's missing.

Weiner is not alone(I know, amazing that Chris Matthews is not hip or with the program, even, but) If I, Ms. Uncool have done something twice(No pics, thank god) how weird is it? (Ok, still a little, but not the strangest peccadillo(?) paraphillia(?) in the history of ever.)

It just sort of makes me feel like a low priority in people's lives when these things happen.

I'm sorry. And I know how you feel. I have cousins who would drive within 3 miles of my parents' home twice every summer, and never stopped for as much as a cup of coffee. Even when Mom was dying. They also forgot about my existence, too, although that bothered me less than it bothered my parents. They remembered me when one of their kids was getting married, though. Funny how the possibility of a wedding gift will jar a person's memory.

Can you please explain to a non-American the difference between giving a teenager a rifle or a gun? I'm having trouble to wrap my mind around it. Maybe because I live in another certain part of the world that hands to most of its 18 years old assault rifles

Gun issues are pretty fraught in the US. On one hand, we have a line item in the Bill of Rights saying pretty much everyone has the right to them. On the other hand, we have no mandate saying that anyone has to know how to use them or take care of them. Which has led to people keeping loaded handguns in their dresser drawers and three-year-olds killing themselves or others with them, among other tragedies. But attempts to legislate gun control turn into a huge "gov'ment's comin' to take my guns!!!!!" thing. Probably because many people in the US neither trust nor like their government.

ETA: And it occurs to me that US gun policy is sort of a hot button political issue, and I think we usually discuss those in Natter. Please let me know if you'd like me to move this or continue the conversation there.

A rifle is considered something you could potentially go hunting with, ie, provide food for the family. Also good protection against dangerous animals, which are more a threat in the rural areas that see rifles as tools more than other areas do. A "gun" is probably referring to a handgun, which can be used for protection against animals but, since it's more easily concealable, is seen as more of a weapon to use against other people, so less socially acceptable. Very few people can hide a rifle upon their person, so odds are they're not going to sneak up on someone with it.

Glad the interview went well for TCG, sj.

Posted in Beep Me, but... I GOT THE JOB! Just waiting for background check to be completed.

YAY!!!

YAYAYAYAY Maria!! That's super awesome.

And I was with Connie's rifle vs handgun concept. At least, that's the difference I would make--you don't go hunting with a handgun. You don't shoot trap with a handgun. Generally, you're just going to plan to shoot PEOPLE with a handgun.

Connie and Meara got it when it comes to my specific issues with CJ's rifle. It s for hunting. I have other issues that I'm not going to dwell on while I'm on vacation. By before an update I must add...

YAYAYAY to Maria!!! Congrats on the job.

Yesterday we left LA and drove up I-5 to Santa Cruz (where The Lost Boys was filmed). K's first glimpse of the Pacific was as we hit the Boardwalk area. We walked around the Boardwalk and I shared my memories of visiting there since I was about 5. We went down the beach and played in the water a bit. She decided to play tag with the waters edge and lost. We played in the arcade a bit. I found a functioning Centipede game which was my favorite game back in the day. Some fresh salt water taffy and a tacqaria later and we were on the road to SF.

Today we are leaving the car behind and puttering around SF.

Yay Maria!!! Woo hoo!!! So happy for you.