Ooooh, shiny! Thank you, Mistress!

And me?

I still need a name. And to send ND money---actually I'm sending part of the money now (what's in my paypal account) and the rest when it clears through.

I have no name. I am nameless.

As am I, but I'm cool with that. I kinda like being nameless.

Timelies! Jen K arrived last night and we gorged ourselves at Chinese Vegi Food in Berkeley, which is a stone's throw from Chez Panisse, and better IMHO. She's tootling around SF today and we'll meet up with others tonight. meara, insent, but also, call me at work when you get in and I'll come get you.

Guess what? the Tivo WORKS! Woo Hoo! Of course, I somehow ended up with Baywatch, Everyone Loves Raymond and about 4 other shows recorded that I've barely heard of and have no interest in, so, hmm, hmm, I think I got the preferences right now. Other hot news: I got a cell phone!! I sat down and figured out how to answer and place calls last night, but that's it so far. I have to figure out how to set up the voice mail box. Insent shiny new cell phone #, Vortex, who rocks! whee! listy goodness!

Request for beverages: Indian Pale Ale, but really, any decent ale/microbrew will do.

Linda from the hotel phoned to ask about catering paperwork and charge cards. The way we left it is that I'm meeting with her at the hotel on Wed. to sign whatever needs to be signed, and, unless ND wants the frequent flyer miles, charge whatever needs to be charged. If Fred and hubs want to do it, just let me know and that can be arranged too. If I don't hear otherwise, I'll proceed with that plan.

Hil, I'll be in DC with a rental car and I'd enjoy going to Anne's. Perhaps you'd be so kind as to be my navigator and help me find the way there? If anyone would like a ride, I expect the compact can handle a few more.

If Fred and hubs want to do it, just let me know and that can be arranged too.

I spoke to Lisa Lee earlier. She didn't ask for a credit card number. But because of the number of liquors requested, she asked me to e-mail her the list. Which I'll do from home tonight.

Yeah, I didn't realize that there would be more paperwork, but more contracts have to be signed, apparently, for the food and bev. Lisa's in today, off Mon. and Tues., in Wed - X. She's probably on a Wed. - Sun. schedule.

Back to work, I'll be back to check around 5PM CA time, then again about 8 PM, and once I sign off from that, I'm gone! I'm arriving in DC on Monday. A DC biz assoc. has said I can come by and use one of their office computers to check email/the board, so I'll try to do that. I'm at Raquel's on Mon. night, then camping until Fri., when I'll be going to the hotel. Call my cell during the week if anyone wants to coordinatte museum going or meet for lunch, dinner or a play. later.

Vortex, I did try to send you info once, but I guess I need to try again, so insent shortly.

Cicada update from my sister:

Subject line: They're here!

The cicadas, that is. After 17 years of sleeping, "Brood X" has arrived in the Washington DC area.

Last Tuesday night before dinner, [BIL and nieces] went out into our front yard looking for signs of cicadas. They found 4 or 5 of the exoskeletons (the beige shells that the cicadas shed when they first come above ground) and not much more. The next morning, Wednesday, there were literally hundreds of exoskeletons all over our front yard and some maturing cicadas to boot.

For those of you who haven't heard, we are in the beginning of an influx of periodic cicadas; bugs that come above ground once every 17 years, shed their skins, buzz around, mate, bury their eggs and die. They are meant to be around for five to eight weeks total.

The biggest shocker about these red-eyed bugs is their numbers: they say that at the peak there will be about 1.5 million cicadas per square acre. One newspaper article estimated that it will require each Washingtonian to kill about 8,000 cicadas per hour just to keep them at bay.

As of yet, the cicadas aren't old enough to really start making the noise for which they are infamous, but apparently in the next week or so we are meant to begin hearing the "wall of noise" that is a result of the constant buzzing of the males in their attempts to woo the females.

As for [the nieces], they are into the bugs - so far. Oldest Niece picks them up and holds them and lets them crawl up her arms. This morning, however, as we were on our morning "cicada safari" (not to be confused with our afternoon "cicada safari" or our post-dinner "cicada safari") the big ones were flying around a bit more and they both became a little more intimidated. I suspect, however, they will get used to it.

whimper

Well, at least we won't have to worry about keeping the noise levels down, if the cicadas are going to be keeping everyone in the hotel up anyway.