Tonight's swim was complete trash. I just couldn't get it together and kept pulling things and was just getting more and more frustrated. I made the unprecedented executive decision to quit at 1.5 miles, rather than my usual 2 on Sundays. No idea why it fell apart so bad, I've never had it quite that bad.

Then I tried to figure out all the retirement forms and uhg. And then I logged into my brand spanking new benefits account to find I'm listed as terminated. I guess they aren't quite ready for us to use it-they told us end of the week- but had to create the logins for the non-login accounts in the system already. But jarring.

Sorry about the bummer swim and the bummer benefits account.

Woke up before 6 this AM, and went running -- ran 5 miles while pushing Grace in a stroller so it was slower than I'd like. Had breakfast at Lincoln, took a nap and then got to share some mimosa and fred steak with liese, which was awesome. Now to get the twins in bed.

I was watching Antiques Roadshow, and a woman had a painting that her mother had loved and that she had in the living room for years. The appraiser told her it was worth $100,000 to $200,000, and this look of heartbreak went over her face. "Oh, that's terrible, terrible. It was such a nice painting to have around." I don't know if she just couldn't see herself as someone who should have valuable things or if she was thinking that she should cash in and do something practical with the money instead of enjoying the picture on her wall. She was probably thinking of grand-kids and mortgages and bills. She looked about to cry, and the appraiser looked very guilty.

OMG my allergies are killing me. I took two benedryl last night and spent all day today feeling like I had lead weights on. Bleargh.

So this afternoon I bought Allegra and a bunch of Neilmed stuff so I could start irrigating my sinuses again. It's not pleasant, but everyone says it helps.

Made an awesome salad for dinner: red and white cabbage, shredded; a can of black beans; a can of corn (or fresh corn off the cob); red onion; an avocado. Make a lime-olive oil dressing with some apple cider vinegar. Crumble cojita cheese into the dressing. Dress the salad & let it sit for a an hour. Add salt & pepper to taste. Comes out SO GOOD. (I got the recipe from the bartender at this place in Oceanside last week. So tasty.)

For a $100,000 painting that I really like as decoration, I'd probably hire an artist to make a copy - not a forgery but a proper, with slight alteration (knowing me, I'd probably request the addition of a blue police box) and proper attribution, copy - to hang on my wall then sell the original. How else would I have the money to pay for the security upgrades needed to protect a painting that is worth more than the house I live in? Having had a break-in in which the thieves came away with less than $500 worth of stuff because that is all I had, the idea of having something so truly valuable without making my home into Fort Knox, I think I would end up having more panic attacks than I did following the break-in.

Saw this headline and started humming "Kodachrome".

See, I saw that and have had Dar Williams in my head every time I see another thing about Daniel Berrigan (and since I went to a Jesuit school, have seen it linked repeatedly on FB)

My insane tomcat apparently likes Mongolian chicken. he kept begging for more last night while I was eating dinner. So, turns his nose up at good quality steak or the chicken I saute in butter at home, can't get enough of blazing hot take-out.

No arguing with taste.

I think I should not make any more decisions today. I've only made little ones so far but they all seem to have been wrong.

I have my shifts for Denver Comic Con! I'll be working the Celebrity Photo Op Booth all three days in the morning. Then I can wander the Con in the afternoon. I have never been to a Con but am VERY excited.