Thank you thank you!

It's been a pretty good day so far - I got to take a run in the lovely cool fog, work is non-onerous, I had a lovely cardamom coffee & vegetarian quiche from one of my favorite coffee shops in the neighborhood, & we're going to go to Scoma's for dinner.

It's been a pretty good day so far - I got to take a run in the lovely cool fog, work is non-onerous, I had a lovely cardamom coffee & vegetarian quiche from one of my favorite coffee shops in the neighborhood, & we're going to go to Scoma's for dinner.

What an excellent start to the day! Happy Birthday!

I did not go running in the cool fog this morning, but I did get up early and go out and walk to a further away cafe so I could get some steps in first thing.

Matilda's friend Veronica just came over. Matilda's assignment: hype Veronica up and do her hair in advance of seeing Veronica's ex who broke her heart.

Hey now I can picture going to Scomas for dinner! Happy birthday!

Sounds like a lovely day! I approve. (Aren't you glad?)

I just got my braces on, you guys. Hilarious. Here's a thing -- the tooth pillow adjustment they did so my bite doesn't knock off the brackets? Let's just say, steak is probably off the menu until my bite makes some progress. I, basically, can't chew!

I kind of googled around, and, yeah, that seems to be one of the issues at the beginning for some people. The Ortho could have said something! WTH?

I remember those days. Not fondly.

Lots of soup.

Penzeys had a cool thing today with get out the vote swag I just shared on FB: $2 Taco seasoning + if your order totals $5 or more, they'll send you a free jar of cumin + there's a bunch of get the vote out sticker stuff + a free mug + something else free that I'm not even sure what is..

Basically, I ended up with four jars of spices for $14 + shipping and a bunch of free get out the vote swag, and buying from a company whose stance I agree with.

In case anyone is a Penzeys fan, thought I'd share.

It's not obvious on the site, but if you pick the Bold or Chicken taco seasoning, they go into your cart at $2 -- and the free cumin gets added if you type PEOPLE as the coupon code after your order gets to $5.

Free stuff! Voting! Spices!

If only I got an affiliate fee. Kidding.

Timelies all!

We arrived in Buffalo yesterday, after driving all afternoon. Today we went to the Buffalo zoo. Tomorrow the convention starts, plus we have a couple of on-line meetings.

Braces are a pain, And when you have them tightened, it's almost as bad as starting over again. Mine were for a cross-bite - the teeth were straight, but my jaw was crooked (and was painful in itself). LOTS of soup and other soft foods. And my mother used that as an excuse to forbid me tomatoes for an entire summer.

Aw, no tomatoes -- but they are soft! Yeah, it's going to be an interesting 12-18 months. Good thing I've grown to like soup more. I used to not consider it a meal. Ever. And, you know, mashed potatoes are a fave, thank goodness. I was reading that you do sort of figure out the chewing thing to a certain extent, so that was heartening.

Not a productive workday at all today, oops. At least I got the one thing I needed to get out done. But I'll have to make up some time tomorrow. Eh, it's fine. No complaints.

Good thing I've grown to like soup more.

I have lots of soup recipes and tips if you're interested.

Here's a free one: Learn to use the Italian tiny pasta, Orzo, in your soup. It has great mouthfeel and will make your soup feel more substantial.