FINALLY figured out something good to get my sister's mother in law.

Any thoughts on a brick and mortar store where I could buy a shortbread mold?

Yeah, it's like they think everybody's either a drug-seeker or a big baby. Reminds me of when I went to the Dr with an ear infection - I had let it get really bad because I was afraid I'd sound like a whiny 6-year-old going, "I have an eeearaaaache." Sure enough, when I called in, the scheduler treated me like a whiny 6-year-old, the nurse treated me like a whiny 6-year-old, and the Dr treated me like a whiny 6-year-old - until she finally got out the scope and noted that the inflammation was so bad she couldn't see into my ear at all. Got a couple of different anti-biotics, but also confirmation that my concerns would be largely dismissed.

It's not like the time the intern many years ago tried to bamboozle us with Latin, which we promptly translated and asked what the phrase he'd thrown out had to do with anything.

Connie, I love you and DH, that's awesome. Lots of effective-treatment-ma.

I just went to write part of why I've been extra-dark lately, but when I started trying to organize my thoughts, I felt my brain try to shut down so let me sum up...work is kicking my ass, my laptop's trying to keep me from the internet forever, I was asked to do extra volunteer hours to cover for someone, I picked up a mild case of pink-eye, and my diabetic mother (whose toe-infection I've been trying to deal with for a few weeks now) has been informed that they're going to have to remove part of the toe (keeping in mind that last month we lost a family friend whose toe amputation didn't heal, which led to foot amputation which didn't heal, etc.) Can I please just get a dark cave to retreat to for a few weeks? Please? I'll leave it neater than I found it. Promise.

::sets up a dark cave filled with soft bedding and good books, and orders a cabana boy to silently restock the mini-bar on a regular basis::

Ooo, a dark cave with good spot lighting and Net access, with a warm snuggly bed and a mellow old cat sounds exquisite.

We're gonna need a bigger cave.

At least I'll be in good company. (Of course we'll all be retreating to our own separate corners to recharge our batteries, but we'll each know we're doing it in solidarity.)

Big cave, lots of little alcoves, plenty of room for everybody to be alone together.

Buffista Cave, on Buffista Island! In our own microclimate.

News Flash: When booze is not feasible (e.g., the workplace), apple slices with peanut butter (crunchy) are good for what ails ya. (I was recently complaining to my Dr that it's really hard to malign stress-eating when it actually does help).

Well, my roommate problems may be sorting themselves out. Not the way I would have preferred them to sort out, but such is the way of things.