damn, caught in a double-post. Removing, but so as not to just leave it blank, here is an exchange in COMM about ita:

In Natter:

PC: So I just listened to Amber Benson read about blowjobs, ejaculation, semen, and "pussy blood." It was hilarious.

billytea: Let me guess. She clicked on ita's links.

on games and university

"For sheer pissed-offedness, we used to play Illuminati (no one would even take bathroom breaks), or Diplomacy (one turn per week, with plenty of time to negotiate inbetween).

I miss university."

Oh, Ailleann, I'm so sorry to hear that. That's just awful. Your poor family.

Hey, you! I was so sorry to read about your sister on FB. Been a rough few months for too many of us. It's good to see you here, though.

naps

"Afternoon naps make all the difference. I used to work 7am to 3:30, nap and stay out all night. It was the most fun, but employers like that are hard to find in these parts."

Ailleann, I'm so sorry about your sister and her family! That's unbelievably awful. So much grief, I'm sorry. It is good to see your pixels again, though.

"Once, just once I enjoyed playing volleyball. It was a game of discovery. I discovered that I was 6 inches taller than the last time I tried it, and that height makes a difference. I discovered that playing drunk also helps. I discovered that I will not disrobe to score my team more points. And I discovered the joy of trash talking. And that the geeks could kick the asses of the salespeople."

Hey Ailleann, was just reading your posts back in 2006.

Where I also found ita talking about her sister:

My sister succumbed to the lure of a dress she didn't need yesterday. Priciest dress she's ever bought. She sent pictures last night. Damn, with my whole trying to mix it up a bit I haven't hit a note like that. Cream coloured dress covered in large butterflies. Sheath with an empire waist and large pleats that start mid-thigh. Low round neckline, no sleeves, and the kicker is the bow on the left strap. Oh, and piping. Orthoepy would love the detailing, I swear.

Excellent job.

Just looking at that syntax and language I'm realizing how ita-ish that is.

Plus the sister love.

I woke from a nap today in that liminal state where reality is still a couple degrees behind my conscious waking brain and realized: "Oh no, a Buffista died. ita will be so sad."

Then my rational brain came online.

"The start of the baseball season marks the interruption of my basketball coverage. But it's a harbinger of the NBA finals, and Wimbledon. So it's not all evil."

"Me, I like hot days and warm nights. Anything to get the blood flowing to my fingertips and back."