If we had an infestation of roaches, I would be dropping a nuclear bomb on the house and then moving out, probably in that order.

Are they those tiny ants (known as "pussy ants" in some parts of Bmore), Dana? I had good luck getting rid of pussy ants by spraying diluted cider vinegar around where they were getting in. Or are they some kind of scary Texas ant?

mac's friends are asking me to put Hamachi on his computer. anyone know anything about this? these are his friends that he plays minecraft with and is on skype with every night.

Because I should not say these things on Facebook and thereby make drama I have no patience for:

Hi angry libertarian dude! I really appreciate your stance that in the current political crisis, every federal employee should voluntarily give up all pay and benefits because government too big and should act just like a household budget yada yada. I assume you're volunteering to go first, seeing as how you're career military, and therefore one of the federal employees least likely to ever, ever not get paid? (Also, how's that overthrowing the hand that feeds you thing going lately?)

4 furloughs amongst my friends and counting, 2 friends signed their families up through healthcare.gov who have not previously been able to afford insurance (and who've nearly been broken by that) and the saddest commentary on the current state of healthcare being a post I saw by someone who signed up today "Now I can get the surgery I've needed for years!"

Now I can get the surgery I've needed for years!

And the GOP and the Koch brothers are trying to convince people NOT to sign up! Amazing.

... by which I mean: awful.

All the stuff this morning about the sites being down made me so crazy -- I'm sure they were crashing because SO MANY people were trying to get fucking insurance! (Aside from any federal support issues.) It was all before 9 this morning!

I hate everything.

I've just been dealing with car nonsense. Inspected yesterday, almost killed my battery waiting so long in line with the AC on (my bad) and then discovered trapped in line that my registration was going to expire at midnight. Hmm, wonder where my renewal notice ended up? Mayhaps on top of my neighbors fridge? JC. It's just that in my brain I just renewed my registration, so I shouldn't have to so soon after. But I should also have received a letter in the mail. And I did not. I need a new place to live where I don't share a mailbox.

I've been on the hate train for a couple weeks now. Today's topic just gave me a little focus. But also frustrating because I had to reign in full metal shrieking harpy namecalling SMASHSMASHMORONIDIOT down to as cutting as I could manage. Small, sharp cuts, not the 50lb mace.

Yeah, I need to chill. Haven't figured out how to do that yet.

Kate, I'm not sure I'd ask for vacation because in my private school experience it would never have been possible. Days off rarely were.

If not salary, then perhaps for something like an ALA membership or a YALSA membership for them to write into the contract paying for sub/attendance at ALA this year (or your state's ALA affiliate school -- in California it is the California State Library Association).

On the non-money thought, perhaps ask for X hours of parent volunteer time (if that would be helpful for you and if it jibes with the school culture).