Thanks, Dana, maybe I'll take a pass on this week even if I find it available eventually. Legitimately annoyed with my various devices nonetheless.

We lost video feed--no, wait. I'm going through my DVR schedule for the week, setting up the two games for today and deleting some recorded shows I'm just now admitting I didn't watch live, nor watch recorded yet, because I just don't actually care (I love not having to make that decision until weeks later), when Dr. Jeff, Rocky Mountain Vet goes all psychedelic on me. Sound's fine, program grid is fine-I mean, it's *there*, just behind this gauzy bright-colored curtain. Controls work fine, etc. Just screwy video. I pop in a dvd--picture's great. I go to Netflix, picture's fine. Computer's fine. It all comes in on one cable, so everything's working but the video, which is *there*, just screwy.

So, we make the call for a cable tech--first appt. is Wednesday morning. H swaps out the signal splitter for a new one, loses the internet. Reboots the modem, and the router, still no internet. Eliminates the tv altogether and takes out the splitter, runs the cable directly to the modem, which talks to the router, so we have internet. We have dvds, we can live without tv and Netflix. Though the dvr has been diligently "recording" both games, even while it was hooked up to nothing. H says, "It's the box."

I say, "Noooooo!" because I have stuff on there I've saved to watch! Although, by process of elimination I think he's probably right. He wants to take the box to the local cable place and swap it out and see if everything works with a new box, and if so, we can cancel the tech appt. I'm afraid it will. I mean, I don't want to pay for a fruitless appointment, but--but...my *stuff!* That I saved to watch!!

So I am also unhappy with my electronic devices today.

I'm not sure how to express how little I want to get up and go to work tomorrow.

I actually kind of want to go to work, because this will be the week when I get to start telling people I can't do stuff because starting Friday I go on vacation for two weeks, so suck it.

Ugh. I kinda failed at parenting today. And partnering. Not a total fail mind you, but certainly not a win. I'm ready to not live, breath, and work stress stress and more STRESS all the frigging time. And boy oh boy is my family ready for me to pull back and turn back into the fairly decent person I used to be.

We are as one, Bev. That is my big fear, that my DVR will need to be replaced and I'll lose all the stuff that is still on it (it's a lot, akin to my to-be-read piles and my various open tabs. I sincerely believe it is more of a there-is-not-enough-time problem and not a me problem)

I'm so glad I took tomorrow off. This weekend has been full of fun but very little at home time, trying to rush to be ready for a regular workweek right now would be pretty unpleasant.

That's awesome, Lee, enjoy the hell out of that!

I'm sorry, Burrell. I hope you can find some breathing room and feel more like yourself.

Stress is nobody's friend, Burrell--do you anticipate a better time soon, or just desperately hoping stress will magically get better? :(

After getting home and catching up on some stuff, I proceeded to pass out for a nap for hours. No idea how long.

BUT. Then I went to Trader Joe's. And Teppy's post on FB showed PUMPKIN. I was hoping TJ's had gone FULL PUMPKIN. But NO. It was really only partial pumpkin. I was sorely disappointed. Though I did purchase both pumpkin waffles and pumpkin yogurt.

I was hoping TJ's had gone FULL PUMPKIN. But NO. It was really only partial pumpkin.

Did you not have a full set of shelves of pumpkin stuff?

pumpkin yogurt.

Damn it, I didn't even look for the yogurt. That is my favorite pumpkin thing they make, hands down.

I also found the pumpkin spice Peeps at Target today. I can report that they have a faint taste of...something. Maybe cinnamon? But mostly they just taste like ALL THE SUGAR. In other words, like a regular Peep. That makes me sad, because the gingerbread Peep men last Christmas were very ginger-y and perfect in hot chocolate. I had high hopes for the pumpkin spice Peeps. Alas.

However, they're not icky, like the pumpkin spice Hershey's Kisses were last year. Those things just tasted like a candle.

I love pumpkin spice coffee, but there are plenty of things that just shouldn't be flavored with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. No, I do not want to try the new pumpkin spice burger.