From what I've heard, the Signing Time videos are supposed to be really good. There are also a bunch of books that Gallaudet publishes. (And, apparently, there are some books out there that teach signs that aren't actually ASL, which seems pointless -- if you're going to teach a baby to sign, why not teach actual signs?)

We have a book, DVD, and flash card set. We just haven't used them yet.

So what I am saying is: GET HERE.

Yes'm!

Liese, I'll be in Columbus June 30-July 4 and in Indy July 4-July 7.

Awesome! I just booked my flight home, so I'll actually be back in Arizona July 1st-3rd (musician economics: I'm paying $500 for a flight and $100 to rent a car to play a gig where I'll earn $50 which will not be paid in cash but will be applied to my rehearsal space rent, during my one day off in eight weeks)

But I'll be back for the time you're in Indy. I don't know what my day to day schedule looks like, and won't until that Sunday, probably, but once I do, I should be able to find a time to sneak out to hang! Do you have my digits?

Toddson! Did you see this? La Fourchette to close

I can't remember if any of the Buffistas have been there, but La Fourchette is this amazing, reasonably priced French restaurant that's been in Adams Morgan forever (ok, since 1978). Toddson introduced me to it, and we had a lovely meal there. Of course, all time with Toddson is lovely.

She's home!! I tried one more time and she made a little meow and came around like it was no big deal.

Yay, askye!

She also has stuck close to me. I don't expect that to last because she usually acts like she'd been abandoned if I'm gone most if the day.

I think she want to be up by my hand but I have a single bed right now and the area I got the tetanus shot is sore and swollen and I sleep on my side. Both the shot and the born are on my right side. So if I sleep on my left it puts pressure on the burned part of my hand so I had to use something prop it up.

I think I got the dtap 2 years ago and a cording to webmd or cdc website ...can't remember. ..swelling and redness and swollen glands are common with subsequent vaccines. I don't habe any of the call the doctor problems.

Oh, I'm so glad!

I have just hit a giant wall of discouragement. I am terrible at literally everything: my job*, being a supportive wife, being a friend, being a general contributing member of society.

I feel like I should quit everything and go live in a box under a bridge for the good of everyone who knows me.

*(That's not impostor syndrome; that's a feedback email I got today that basically said wow, every article you edited last week had major problems, you really need to do better.)

Question for my peri-menopausal cohort and those who have successfully navigated these waters into menopause: Extreme changes to appetite, is that a thing? I had my period last week, and the first day, I could barely eat. I had a can of diet ginger ale for breakfast. For lunch, preparing to go to work and needing a full day's fuel, I made a sandwich on lite bread (45 cal/slice) and got some red bell pepper slices and cherry tomatoes. Often for lunch I will cook and eat a 16 ounce package of frozen vegetables plus 4-6 ounces of meat, plus some kind of carb. So this was actually fairly modest for lunch. I ate half the sandwich, a few tomatoes, and a couple pieces of pepper then simply could eat no more. Throughout the day, I made myself eat the rest of the meal, then for supper, had about a quarter of what I usually would eat for supper at work. The next day my appetite was more as per usual, but since then even after my period is done it has gone back and forth, one day food is not a happy thought, the next its sort of ok. By which I mean, I will feel hungry but often food does not sound really appealing in spite of hunger. I snarfed a 12 pack of ginger ale in a few days, when I rarely drink pop every day, let alone 3 cans in a day. Inspired by Laura, I've been trying to eat small amounts often, but why is food no fun anymore?