That all sounds good! But also just like a lot. From my vantage point of sitting on the couch all day except when I took a nap, anyway.

What did you guys get?

The Furred Lines I got was just on the radio and was about treats and staying. Nothing creepy, not sure what else is out there and now I'm not gonna look!

I succumbed to the cats and couch* this afternoon which meant that after my swim, had to clean until 9. But it is done. Leaves tomorrow and taking neighbor to pick up her car.

• but you know, when Pumpkin sprawls between me and the couch and wraps around my calf, and Lokes lies on my chest, it's nice to just stay there. Even when Loki decides to wash my neck and now I have raw patch.

Matt, you might just have to be really careful about dirty laundry. My cats looooove it, it smells like me, so they nest in it. But some cats respond less with lovey-dovey-marking-wallowing and more with my-person-pee-on-it! If she's going into heat, that might be a part of it too. In any case, be vigilant, and deter opportunities.

Whew, that's a lot, Kat.

I had a day of frustration, so I basically gave up on everything. Filed for extensions. Decided good enough was good enough for what I'm bringing to the convention. Quit cleaning the house. Etc.

(Oh, btw, KCites, I will be in your town all week, but kinda unpredictably busy. I would love to get together with you at some point if you have time, though. I could do lunch bbq maybe on Wednesday, or possibly drinks late from there through the weekend, but will have to go a reasonable distance from downtown where my fellow conventioneers might be likely to shake their heads disapprovingly.)

However, I am getting enough done that I can check things off my to-do list, so yay me. AND I am making a trial version of green chile cheesebread to take on the road with me that uses dried green chiles. We are through the last of our fresh, alas.

I have one more big task I really should try to complete, though, and it's a biggie. I have been super putting it off because reasons.

Last week I discovered coffee flavoured chocolate chips at the store, so I decided to get some. They were kind of chemically tasting t

Om nom nom, that sounds good.

I met a friend for dinner at a new Thai place, and we discovered that their definition of 2/5 and 3/5 stars was a heck of a lot spicier than we were prepared for. And the lady spoke decently good English with not a bad accent, and yet somehow didn't understand a word we said (had to bring me the menu and have me point, didn't manage to give us quite what we asked for, etc). Weird.

I hate when I have a Super Big Thing because it seems overwhelming and then I get avoidy. Hell. I am avoidy when I have things like make a phone call.

We got an Elantra GT hatchback, which is similar in size to K's car but sportier. It's cute enough. Our Saturn had a horrible issue that caused the catlytic converter to break. I have been driving it with the check engine light on since July just waiting for the part to be made (!!) so we could replace it. But then the manifold cracked (and we weren't sure if we could find one since Saturn went out of business). AND the front passenger tire was about to split so I knew the jig was up. (Is that the right idiom?) I just wanted to get a new super cheap tire and then keep it until March then replace it then, but K gets queasy about me and the kids in a car held together by hope and held breath.

New car: [link]

Yeah, I tend to drive the same car until it gives up, partially because getting a new one is a bit daunting, but you do have to take safety into consideration. The new car is cute!

I'm with K on this one. I'm glad you're in a solid car.

I am avoidy a lot, although I'm working on it, and am getting better. But this one's got So Much riding on it that I am probably going to fuck up just by not doing it.

Ok, fuck it, I'm doing it. Shit, it's not even that hard.

Go, Liese, and do! And then it will be done and not hanging over you any more.

I expected to have to work this weekend, but that got cancelled, so I gave in to an impulse and drove down to the Ozarks to see what was left of the Fall colors. I'm spending the night in my old home town, and tomorrow's plan is to go south through the Ouachitas, west on the Talimena Drive, then north through eastern Oklahoma, stopping at my very favorite BBQ place for takeout before heading home.

Liese, I work only three blocks from the downtown convention hall. Wednesday lunch is a great idea.