Was the interview about how she can't sing any more? Because that would also make me cry.

Someone emailed about possibly wanting our old moving boxes. Please, please, please let him be for real so we can get these things out of the house.

It was partly about that, but about all kinds of other stuff as well, including the death of her father, which tipped me over the edge that I was already on because of the song. Damn you, McGarrigles!

ita, you may or may not want to read this personal essay about migraines. [link]

Avoid factory chicken while the government is shut down:

[link]

Maybe 15 years ago public school teachers in DC were paid sporadically for about a year... they'd go months without a check. I think it was the city budget? Yeah, no one cares.

Makes me glad I'm working from a 4 lb. bag of frozen Tyson chicken I bought last week, and I tend to cook til the meat is crispy.

Deep sympathies to Burrell, Cash and all those who need it. I have skimmed, and it's sad that there's so many, I'm sure I inadvertently forgot someone.

Yes, shutdown, Amy. It's the 8th day DH has been off. I am deeply, deepy thankful we've been too broke to do anything, because he has vacation saved up. But htook is co-workers that took it, as is right and proper, are fucked. And we're already not doing great; another couple of weeks may completely destroy us.

But Boehner makes $600/day! YAY!

Have you drunk-dialed Congress yet?

The fact that the Congressional GYM was deemed "essential" pisses me off to no end. Ugh.

Also on my list today: coworkers who call me at 8:15, after I have decided I am SICK and do not want to get up until I have to. And I really want soup and the Throat Coat tea, but I don't want to get dressed and go get it (...all of two blocks. I am spoiled). I am hoping to work up the energy by lunchtime, and drinking inferior tea until then. And some EmergenC. And eating pumpkin waffles.

That essay made me cry, Jesse. I could quote about half of it (someone else who can't tolerate mint! I am exhausted by the people who try and cure me with it...some variety mint is fine, other mint is an instant code red), but really, this sums up so much:

Only now, 20 years after my first migraine at age 12, do I fully recognize the insidious force that has made me less ambitious over time, less adventurous, and less fun.

And then the bit about flaking...well, nothing y'all haven't been regaled with, just in concise and illustrative terms.

Too much, too much.

I need to work out what it was about the Kit Kat that might have hit me so hard yesterday. At least I know it's not chocolate, since I've been eating dark chocolate this whole while. High glycemic sucrose? Really? That was almost as bad as an artificial sweetener headache.

But maybe it wasn't the Kit Kat after all. The most important thing is that I got some sleep last night and it's down a couple points today.

There was something I meant to say that wasn't about headaches, but I forget...

Am feeling like a horrible person. I reached out to someone to see if she could take part in a client presentation a few weeks from now, and she responded that she was having a pre-something procedure in preparation for surgery she is having a few days later so it would be really difficult for her.

And upon instructions from above I responded to the effect of "great! that'll be so helpful if you can move it, please let me know asap."

A vague decline is nobody's friend.