Good Heavens, AussieGirl,that's dreadful! I'm keeping cool and snowy thoughts here for you. I'm horrible with heat, so the thought of 126 degrees is just about curling my liver.
And Last Dodo, hope the vodka and diets went down nice and smooth. Just what you need to erase the memory of that dud of a date.
Yogi, Banff Film Festival mostly concentrates on films that celebrate the out of doors, and they generally center around sports of some sort. Although now that I say that, I recall one of my favorites from years ago, about an old man in Tibet or Nepal or a similarly rugged country who built his own car b/c he wanted to go visit some cousin in a city relatively far away. We're talking a car that had a frame built out of wood and didn't go over 10 miles an hour. The film followed his journey, and it was wonderful. Here is a link to the films we'll see on Wednesday. Apologies for the white print on black page--that always gives me a headache to read.

Hi Woodlock! How nice that we have an elf in the house!

ETA: Okay, you've convinced me. I'm signing up for a massage this very week. It'll be the Hildy Self Indulgence week. I'm going out to a fancy dinner on THursday, and I'll sneak a massage in at some point, too.

I had a massage yesterday, as part of a spa day my sister-in-law and I gave each other for Christmas. The therapist also works at Johns Hopkins, where she gives massages to women having a difficult labor. Apparently there is a spot on the ankle that when massaged helps move the baby along. I found it facinating, and will consider giving birth there, even though it is by no means the nearest hospital. Not that I am pregnant, but we are working on it.

Now I am off to email my brother, who just emailed me to tell me his partner of 15 years left him (and their kids) in January. I have known her since junior high, so this is a major addition to the list of why I feel this crazy woman doesn't deserve to be with my brother. But I suppose I need to be a bit more diplomatic in the email. He and the kids are better off without her, and he is a great father. But what do I say to him?

Oh, that's a tough email, JDG, calling for the utmost of diplomacy. You can't say stuff like, "Eh, she sucked, I always thought she was the spawn of Satan and you are well shed of her," b/c if they get back together you'll be hosed. And you can't tell him it'll get better with time, even though it will, b/c he's in the depths of despair and won't believe that right now. I'd just go with a very sincere, "I'm so sorry, you must be in a lot of pain. Remember that we love you, and we love the kids, and we're there for you."
Any way you could visit or have them visit in the next couple weeks? I don't know how far away you are from him, so I have no clue how realistic that is.

But she is the spawn of Satan! I know, I know, I can't say it. He said in his email that he didn't know what he would do if she came crawling back. But he did say "I have cleaned a lot of her shit out of the house and made things simpler and less chaotic" which I take as a good sign. So far I have written "The most important thing is that you are a wonderful father, and I know you will continue to do a great job of taking care of your children." but it looks very lonely on the page. Add to that Hildy's line, and one inviting them all for a visit, and it might be sendable. I also might offer to take the kids for a week this summer, but I will have to sit on that for awhile.

What a brilliant SIL, JDG. Spa buddies are the best!

Johns Hopkins rules! Seriously. I saw the most wonderful doctor at Johns Hopkins after seeing many, many other doctors. He finally diagnosed my heart condition, and made it possible for me to adapt my lifestyle and course of recovery and live a normal life. I traveled from NYC to go to Johns Hopkins, and I can't tell you how useful it was. If at all possible, it would be my first choice, especially for something as important as having a baby.

Yummy, yummy massages. Everybody get one! Doo, Doo, Doo, Dooo.

Be sure to keep us informed on the Hildy Self Indulgent Week. And remember the most important mantra of the self indulgent: Too Much of a Good Thing is a Good Thing!
And just because I love ya: Don't forget the yoga, Hildy.

Also, the film festival sounds fascinating - the film I would like to see: Eiger North Face: In the footsteps of it's first climbers. It's sounds a bit like survivor: a pair of crazy guys who decide to try to climb up a difficult mountain using antiquated equipment. Why? Why not? or Because it's there. You have to admire insanity like that. It's inspirational.

Speaking of inspirational, JDG, Hildy writes good stuff, but for a bad break up, my perscription is food. And then? More food. See the Hildy Self Indulgence Week for guidelines and suggestions.




ETA, I just read your post, JDG. You could add to the page, "I love you very much, and I want to support you in whatever way you would find most helpful." Also, if you have had a similar experience, you could talk about that. If not, you could say, "I can't even imagine what this is like, but I know you will do well because as I said before, you are a great person, a great father, and I love you very much." Why repeat about love? Because in the end Love is the best medicine.
Maybe?

I have to admit: Yoga scares me a little [/end small voice.] I'll suck at it! People will point and stare at the non bendy woman who can't even sit cross-legged!
That said, the Hildy INdulgence Week has kicked off with 6 Oreos for Lunch. Now we just have to get skagirl to have a snickers this week.

Wha? I'm trying to get back on my good eating plan after being sick...and you tempt me???? Hildy, you are making me whimper here, just like last night (that sounds bad: I whimpered last night during SATC, not with Hildy.)

Can we indulgence week be +/- a week? I got a fantastic mani last Thursday (first since New Year's Eve!) and have a facial scheduled for a week from Sunday.

I just ate two mini krackle bars and a mini mr. goodbar. I'm living the life! But Gosh, when did those things get so small. Everything else gets smaller, but I get bigger. Now it's off to the gym for me.

I've had many students who can not sit cross legged on the floor or touch their knees, much less their toes, Hildy. Any trained teacher will be able to make modifications so that you are supported and comfortable in a gentle or beginners class. I did yoga when I was still in a wheelchair - not standing poses, but lots of sitting ones, and it made me stronger and heal quickly. In fact, I attribute my recovery to yoga. My doctors told me I wouldn't walk again without surgery - the MRI's and x-rays don't lie, they told me. I said, give me until September, and the doctor said "I will see you then." But in September I was too busy to see him. I was in California hiking up my beloved mountain! Yoga - it's a good thing!

I loved SATC - I'm going to miss it. A few years ago, Mr. Yogi and I went round the corner to a little Italian restaurant for a quick dinner. They were filming SATC at a church up the block. Ann Meara, "Steve", and another man (possibly crew?) sat down at the table next to us - like a foot away. AM kept trying to get "Steve" to eat. He only ordered a little salad - he said he didn't like to eat much when he is working. But AM was terribly sweet, chatting away, encouraging everyone to eat more. In the end, she insisted on paying for dinner. She made a big point of saying, "my husband will treat us, he makes the real money." I believe she didn't want anyone to think she was putting herself above anyone else. She was such a sweetheart, such a "mom". Whenever I see her on television now, I like her all the more. And she was great last night. What a genuinely lovely woman, warm, cheerful, and kind - at least from what I saw of her that night.

I bet she does yoga, Hildy...... My teacher always said, "if you want to be a happy person, practice yoga!

I could do with a nice young man massaging(sp?) me lol. And I've always wanted to try yoga, since I'm sure it would help my limbs out since they are not so strong and flexible thanks to mr. cerbal palsy, but I don't know if they offer it in Wichita Falls:( stupid not having cool and neat stuff town.

Yogi did you go see Return of the King? I loved it when Legoli brought down that oliphont, that and when Gandalf kept hitting whats his name with his staff over and over again.

Hey Elfin One!
I've seen LOTR:ROTK three times already, and I'll probably go again before it leaves the theatres! Those were both great scenes, two of my favorite characters. But I also loved when Eowin took off her helmet and said "I am no man!" Oh my heck. Also loved King Theoden's speech to the troops before battle. It was so well acted. It reminded me of the St. Crispin's day speech. I was moved. I was ready to fight the Orks!

I didn't know you had CP, my Elfin friend. All I ever saw in your photos was your adorable, healty, vibrant self. I don't know much about CP, but I hope you are doing well, dear one.

Hi guys! I survived! The hottest temps ever recorded in this city! Death toll was 5 which is not too bad, as sad as that it. Although I am terribly burnt. Yesterday we went to look at buying a van, and Mr Aussie had forgotten to put the hats in the car, so I was out in the blazing sun (no shade) for awhile till we got to the car lot's office, where they had a big bottle of sunscreen for their customers. A nice touch! Today is a pleasant 29 degrees C, almost wintry in comparison to two days ago! And my son is back at school for the first time in days. It looks like life can get back to normal now. Thank you all for your thoughts of lovely, cold, icy, chilly snow.

JDG I have a similar tale to tell of brother's wife - my brother has been in a cult (The Children of God, aka The Family) for about 30 years, and lives overseas. He is now back here for a couple of months, with his 3 young children. The middle child seems to have some speech and learning difficulties, and he told me yesterday that his ex, their mother, used to beat her around the head with a wooden hairbrush. I was nearly sick listening to this. This little angel suffered beatings from the age of 2 (she is now 5) whenever my brother was not home, for quite a while now. The other two children were also beaten, though not as severely. My brother and his wife split because of it, and she was ex-communicated from the group, and is now "only a part time member". The cult in my opinion has a lot to answer for, they have very warped ideas ie they used to have this thing about the women being hookers for Jesus, until many of them started dying of AIDS. They are told to smack their children from the age of 8 months. And other rubbish that they have all bought into. I cannot believe how badly my brother has been brainwashed, but after 30 years it is useless trying to get him to acknowledge that the cult might just be wrong. It is very sad, and he has come back here to try to get the child the medical help she so obviously needs. So all I can do is support that as much as I can.

Oh AussieGirl that's horrible, poor kids, I just don't see how people can abuse kids like that.

Yogi I have an extremly mild case of CP, bascily it boils down to is that my arms and legs are a bit stiff and I have trouble pronouncing my S's, thank the lord cause CP can be horrible, wear the person can't talk or walk. But the good news is even though I will of course always have it, it doesn't get worse.

On a lighter note, I'm off work for the next two days whoo hoo!

I don't see how people can do that to children, especially to their own. My neighbor's nephews who I used to babysit for was living in a meth lab run by their dad. The police (God bless them) finally arrested him after he was high and crashed his truck into a tree, breaking both his son's legs and fracturing the baby's skull (not in a car seat, of course). He's still in jail now, and it's been at least 3 or 4 years. The aunt and uncle had custody for a while, until his mom was out of jail. Those poor kids.
Aussie Girl, I'm happy to hear that you survived and are cooling down! I was worried, consitering what happened in France this past summer with the heat there. It's been raining, raining, raining here. There's just no escaping it, it's the rainy season in Oregon. They say that this weekend is suppose to clear up, so maybe I can get to my boat and make sure it hasn't sunk?

Woodlock, hi, and welcome back - I forgot to say that in my heat-induced babble of the last few days. Have you had CP from birth? One of my son's little friends has CP and when she started school, they built some handrails around some of the school, specifically for her. It worked out really well and all the other kids know that although she may not be able to move very fast, there's nothing at all wrong with her mind, and they get along great. She's a beautiful child.

pretty in pinki that is such a terrible story about your neighbour's nephews. I too cannot fathom how anyone can hurt a defenceless child, whether it be by neglect or on purpose. My little niece is a very gentle, loving child, very pretty little girl, and yet if something happens, ie someone drops something, she jumps way too much. The fear that has been put into her by her mother is terrible. I make sure I give her lots of hugs and kisses, and she comes easily to me now that she is getting to know me (I only met her for the first time last week, when they arrived from overseas). I am trying to set up medical appointments to have her hearing tested, and also to check for autism as she is exhibiting some signs of that too. Hopefully we can get a diagnosis and some treatment soon.

BTW I read in the paper that 30 people, not 5, have died here over the last few days from the terrible heat. And many more hospitalised. We are used to heatwaves here, we get them all the time in summer, but this truly was the most shocking thing I have ever experienced, anywhere in the world. And I know this will sound strange, but I just closed my eyes and visualised all of you, and your snow and cold all around me, and I really do think it helped. So thank you!

Something to make you guys smile: there's 7-foot snow-monster outside my office building this morning (it looks like something Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes would make), and someone has built a very large and detailed lake-monster out of snow on Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis. The lake-monster is especially wonderful - it has spikes all down its back, and a beautiful dragon-like head. Word is that there's a family in that neighborhood that makes the Lake of the Isles Monster every year. We love our snow!

If you can stand another yoga-benefits story, I have one. I damaged my back in my early 30s, had sciatica for a while, and dealt with chronic low-back pain for years. By the time I got into my 40s, it took me 5 minutes before I could stand up straight in the morning. A friend of mine, who was a personal trainer, suggested I try yoga. I took up power yoga, and was pain-free in six months. And what a feeling of accomplishment! When I started, I thought I'd never be able to do some of those poses, but, eventually, I was.

Woody, bubbe, I never knew you had CP! Wow.

Aussie & Pretty in Pinki, those are terrible stories. I hear stories like that all the time (I work for a non-profit that works with teens in foster care & some of them have terrible pasts/presents), but it's always somewhat removed. Those are just terrible. I don't understand how people could fathom treating defenseless children like that, or spouses or loved ones or strangers at a football game (the fights at sporting events are ridiculous). Ugh. Makes skahulk angry!!!!

So remember a few weeks I had bizarro ankle? I don't think I mentioned but in my usual stellar balance skills last Friday, I was walking from the MAC store to my friends' office and totally tripped on some cobblestoney-like street. This guy wanted me to sue the city, which I choose not to do. I felt better (although it throbbed at dinner) but then totally over did it at the gym last night - I did a light jog because I felt the urge even though I planned to just do a walk. Grr. Stupid skahulk.

I think my ability to fall is a combo of two things: my dad is a klutz, and I skated for a long time. I was very comfy at balancing on a blade, but you also have good range of motion because of the blade. However, walking requires center o' gravity. Damn you gravity!

AussieGirl, I believe you wrote that it was 52 Celsius in Brisbane during the heat wave? Is that correct? I was speaking to an ex-pat Aussie yesterday and he didn't believe me since Brisbane is on the coast. Do you have a link to a local paper with the temperature for that day? Thanks in advance and glad to hear the heatwave has broken.

AussieGirl, yeah I've had it since birth, I think one reason I have it is cause I decided that after 6 months of living in someone I was ready to come out :).

Tracey, thats awsome, whenever we get snow it's never the kind you can make a semi snowman much less a snow nessie, I just wish there was a way you could get snow with out the damn cold.

Aww poor Skahulk, I myself could never skate, I remember when growing up the popular thing to do was go to a skating rink, you back when the wheels weren't all in the middle, and I would have them tighten my wheels all the way so bascicly they couldn't spin so I was walking with skates, but of course I held on to the wall the entire time cause I would still find a way to fall.

Silly woody, I meant ice skating!

Doh! Stupid Texas brain thinks skating means rollerskating, and sking means water skiing. Well I'm sure I can't do Iceskating either.

Oh, Tracey Bee, thank you so much for describing the wonderful snow monster! It sounds like such a magical sight. Imagine snow creating something other than mess and discomfort!? It boggles my small mind. Actually, I love doing puzzles, and I'm doing a series now of snow scenes. I guess I love to look - hate to be in - the snow.

I'm glad the CP is mild enough to keep you doing all the things you love, dear Elf, like drinking copious amounts of alcohol and stirring up trouble. By the way, what color is your hair these days, my friend?

Take care of that ankle, skagirl. You know what I would recommend..... ;)

Y'all I have to go out of town tomorrow to late Thursday night. Could someone put a tape into the machine as a back up to my back up Survivor/Aprentice tape. I can't believe someone scheduled an out of town meeting on a Thursday. It's just obscene. I have half a mind to cancel.... fume...

All these child abuse stories are making me very verklempt. I can't even watch the news these days b/c I just can't bear to hear the litany of hurtful things people have done to kids. It makes me crazy. Aussiegirl, all good thoughts for your niece.
Woodlock, it's coincidental that you mentioned that you have CP, (and happy to hear that it's very, very mild!) as Hildyboy was just diagnosed with a condition that seems related to CP, although he's completely developmentally normal and it doesn't seem as if it's going to affect him unduly. But, like CP, it causes muscles on one side of his body to be just a tad stiffer than those on the other side. He walks and talks completely normally for a kid his age, but the stiff muscle thing has affected the alignment of his right eye. What's interesting is that this disorder apparently runs in families, and we've been having a big 'ol time figuring out who has it in my family. (Me, for one.)
Okay, as I embark on yoga class research, what should I ask about?
ETA: Yogi, is it at least to a fun place?

I'm chaty today.

Hildy I'm glad little Hildy is developing correctly(that sorta sounded dirty but its not I promise).

Yogi beilive it or not its my NATURAL HAIR COLOR! I swear it just feels wrong, but I'm thinking I'm gonna save up money and get it profenialy done, cause I always miss spots.

'course! cupcakes & jack n' diet coke with a lime.

oh. you mean yoga, don't you?

[anya voice] Go cupcakes! Choose cupcakes! [/anya voice]

Yogi very helpfully provided me with a list of yoga teacher in my area. I have no excuse whatsoever now.

Yes, cupcakes! (and yoga too, of course ;)

Bad Mr. Yogi just brought me a Krispy Kreme chocolate glazed in honor of Fat Tuesday. Heh. It was good.

If you miss spots when you color your hair, Elfin One, you may end up looking like Lex. He has leopard print hair right now!

Hildy, My personal motto: If it ain't fun, I ain't doin' it!
Well, I work. And I take care of my family. Sometimes that's not really so much fun. But if it's my own time, and my own choice, I'm having fun, and I'm often laughing. Try to find a teacher with a sense of humor. They exist. Especially in Anusara yoga because the founder of that type of yoga, John Friend, is a complete goof. Truly, a goof. So laughing is encouraged among the teachers. Not Seinfeldian laughter, maybe, but laughter nonetheless.

Hi guys! I’m back from my Florida trip. It was a very nice and relaxing week except for the actual travelling part. The first day was nice until we hit Virginia. As soon as we crossed the state line we hit traffic. We got to Virginia at 3:00pm and by 4:45pm we had only gone…6 miles. By 7:30pm we had made it a whopping 41 miles. That’s right, 41 miles in 4 ½ hours. I thought of Psyche the entire time and I have sent good vibes already that when you move there you don’t deal with what we dealt with just driving through! We finally grabbed a hotel at 9:00. We never made it out of Virginia that day. Fang (my hubby) is such a Superman. He drove from 5:00am – 9:00pm, dealt with all that traffic and relatively kept his cool.

The next day it rained from the time we left until we reached the resort in Florida. It didn’t stop at all. Not even for five minutes. Then, of ‘course, we hit traffic when we got off of I-95 and onto I-4. What was supposed to take an hour and a half (from I-4 to the resort) took 4 hours. We finally arrived at 7pm. I had never been happier in my life to get somewhere. In two days my husband drove 29 hours total and kept his frustrations in check (though I know he was dying to let it out). He is amazing.

The trip back wasn’t as bad (thankfully). The first day was beautiful. No traffic and the sun was shining. But we did hit traffic on the second day due to an accident. Thankfully nobody was hurt (we heard it on the news) and we were safe and sound at home by 3:30 on Sunday. I was exhausted as can be because I didn’t get any sleep the night before due to the ghost in our hotel room. Yes, you heard me right. I finally believe in ghosts after that night. That is a story for another time.

I have spent the last hour or so catching up with you guys so here I go….

Congratulations to LastDodo on passing your exams! You rock!

Congratulations to yogi on getting her new Ipod and being a wonderful person for her dentist.

I need to just say Word to Hildy’s entire A-Rod post. As a Bostonion, I feel I have to.

I’m also relieved to hear that AussieGirl and her family made it through the terrible heat wave. I am not a “heat” person at all so I feel your pain and am glad things are a bit cooler now.

I loved reading about all the wonderful aspects of yoga. I have lower back problems and after MRI’s, physical therapy and many doctor appointments, they can’t figure out what it is from. I was in a car accident back in September and it has gotten worse since then. I can’t stand or walk for more than five minutes without being in excruciating pain. Unfortunately, that is not an exaggeration. It has completely stalled my life. Thank God Fang is patient and understanding. He has been a God send to me. But if I were to wager a guess, I’d blame it on my weight. I have always had a weight problem and over the last year and a half it has gotten out of control. I spent a good part of a year getting no exercise and gaining weight and I think I am too weak now to support it. I am having surgery in a few months (not related to the back pain…though I am confident it will help) but I think yoga sounds like something wonderful to try until then.

As for celebrity sightings, I had the honor and privilege not only to see Sean Penn in a Boston bar, but also to have a fun conversation with him. But this post is already way too long so I’ll finish that story later.

I’ve missed you guys!

Welcome back, Calstrask! I'm a big fan of the road trip, but your experience hits the nail on the head of what I hate about the road trip. I think I actually handle traffic better alone because I'm not tempted to yell at my passengers, "GAHHHH! Go see what's wrong!!!" But at least it was a getaway, no?

iMissEthan, the paper here, The Courier Mail for Monday, 23 February, has front page news about the heatwave. I don't know how to link here, but if you look up their site, thecouriermail.com.au for that date you should be able to access it. And in yesterday's (24 Feb) paper of the same name it gave the details of the 30 people dying and more about the heatwave on the front page. You can also try the Sunday paper, the sundaymail.com.au for Sunday, 22 February. Your Aussie friend is correct in that Brisbane is on the coast, but I tell you, it didn't make one bit of difference. And the official temps (41, and 42 C on the weekend) are taken out at the airport, right near the bay, so they're always a few degrees less than what it is out here in the suburbs. As to the 52 C, I heard that on the radio, that people in the outer suburbs (where I am) had recorded that. I was driving around in my air conditioned car when I heard that, and decided I just couldn't bear to go home! Today is so much cooler, and I am so much more comfortable! :)

caltrask your hubby sounds like a great driver. 29 hours in two days is a hard slog. Did you have a good time in Florida?

Hildy have they given a name to your son's ocndition? How old is he, and what treatment does he need to have?

yogi I would happily tape Survivor for you, except that you can't play our tapes there!

Speaking of Survivor, the 4th ep aired last night. It was on at 7.30pm, and I was thinking that I would put my 3 year old to bed after it, he was tired and yawning, but I kept putting it off. Then he fell off the chair onto the tiled floor, hitting his head hard. Poor little thing. He ended up having a bad night, but seems better today. I am keeping a close watch on him. Meanwhile, I am feeling like a very bad AussieGirl mother, lots of guilt for wanting to watch my show instead of taking care of my child. But thankfully, he seems fine today, though still saying it hurts a bit.

Aussiegirl, don't beat yourself up, we all do that. Time to yourself is a precious thing. Oh, and Hildyboy has something called familial spastic diparesis; I don't think he'll really require any treatment at all, although there's a possibility he'll need eye surgery to correct the alignment of his right eye. Jury is out on that one, he's seeing his opthamologist next week.
Caltrask, so glad that you share my restrained and sensible views on A-Rod. As Bostonians and Red Sox fans, do we really have any choice? I think I remember you saying something about house hunting--having any luck?

Thanks AussieGirl, and sorry to hear about your son. Next week you'll have to tire him out during the day so you can put him to bed before the show starts.

What's going on? I'm sweeping the tumbleweeds off the streets of the Meet Market! You guys can't all be *working*, are you? Just how wrong is that?

Oh Hildy stole my thought! Working is such a crazy concept!

Yes, yes, I'm working and I'm very busy and my head is about to explode. More later.

I'm plotting how to get supper cooked, served, and cleaned, and everything I need to do this evening done, before eight!

Holy Shit! It just dawned on me that I'm going out to dinner tonight! Good Gad! How many other exclamation points can I use in this post?!

I hope it's an early dinner Hildy. All the cool people are eating dinner at 5:30 these days.

Hey guys! Thought I take a sec out of my cleaning-the-house-in-order-to-sell-it madness to check in and see how things are going. Hildy, don't worry, you're not the only one who will be missing Survivor tonight - Mr. Psyche is leaving for Richmond tomorrow, so we are having dinner with his mom and sis. It will be a three box of tissue event, the way those two are (roll of the eyes). I missed last week's episode because we were in Richmond house-hunting. We didn't bag any houses, unfortunately.

Take care of that ankle skagirl!

Hey as well! I just haven't had much to say lately, although that's not necessarily a bad thing!


Sigh. I'm hopelessly déclassé. I don't even get out of work until then.

So Nightmare Date called me yesterday to tell me I was right about something...that we'd already established I was right about on the date itself. UGH. And it was in that whole "Good boy! You get a cookie!" tone. It's particularly irritating because honestly, I'm extremely careful not to state something as fact unless I'm 100% certain it's true. Otherwise, I'll always use "I think that..." or "I'm pretty sure that..." Ah well. I have a date this Friday with the cuddling doctor which hopefully will go better; if not, I'll know Friday nights are jinxes for me!

Also, I've decided my latest pet peeve is when people get on an elevator, talk, and then when they get to an apparently particularly juicy part, start whispering. I mean, 1. you can still hear every damn word since it's a close space, 2. it's not like you're going to know the person they're gossiping about from Adam or Eve, and 3. if you really don't want to be overheard, wait the freaking 60 seconds or so until you're off the damn elevator! Drives me BATTY. And to give you an example of the kind of people I work with and why I need to get out of here soon to maintain some sort of sanity, [whisper] practically everyone here is the type who does that [/whisper]. One of these days I swear I'm going to whisper back, "Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to whisper?" just to see their reaction.

Of course, the opposite extreme would be what happens on soaps, where a character blares at full volume things like "BOY, I CERTAINLY HOPE NO ONE EVER FINDS OUT I'M A SERIAL KILLER!"

Ah well. Between Survivor and The Apprentice, I love Thursdays!

Course, on a soap, it's like a tree falling in a forest: if she says it, her daughter's boyfriend says it, the first suspect says it on his deathbed, does anyone hear it?

The whispering/loud kills me. The person sitting behind me does both - screams & yells like a banshee or does a whisper, accented by a super sexy baby voice. Stellar. That's why I'm getting a manicure after work.

No, although certain over-the-top "psychic" freakshows may have TERRIBLE VISIONS about it.


This? Killed me. Enjoy!

My mother's favorite line of all time, Stefano to Celeste: "You are as crazy as the hats you wear!" She says it all. the. time. Hee. Her wigs of late have been great, too.

BTW, how is your hair, since you didn't have to with the wig/crazy hat route?

Mine was from years ago. Marlena: "You must have come to me when I was possessed!" Hee!

Eh, I'm not thrilled with my hair, but it could be worse. It actually seems to have settled down a bit the past couple days. Actually, I've been meaning to ask you about some of those salon recommendations, since you said you knew a variety of stylists, but I'll just email you through the system offlist so as not to hijack the thread here.

No problem! Actually, I need some good hair karma - my dear stylist had an emergency appendix out-of-your-body NOW operation last week (technically called an appendectomy but I am too lazy to spellcheck). I understand you are out of commission for awhile, and my last cut was nine weeks ago. I am OK but fear the mullet might appear soon. I discovered by accident - ok, the fact that I play with my hair like I'm 8 - that it's just long enough for pig tails in the back that look like little puppy tails that have been removed (like on a boston terrier) so I'll be safe for a bit. I'll be strong for him & products.

Hildy, silly girl, no no no, when it's Thursday night there, you no go out! LOL. I never ever make plans to go out on Tuesday nights here, and people have stopped asking me, and that's just fine with me! I not only make sure Survivor is being taped, but also watch it at the time. Drives Mr Aussie crazy, as he wants to watch Becker which is on at the same time, but he has gracefully come to accept that where Survivor is concerned, I rule! And when Star Trek, Deep Space 9, and that other rubbish he watches is concerned, he rules. (Luckily for me, when those shows are on, it's late, and I'm usually in bed)!

BTW young son whose head collided with the tiles is fine, back to normal and being his usual cheeky self. Relief all around!

The Last Dodo where are you going on Friday with the cuddling doctor? Hope you have a better time than last Friday. Enjoy!

Psyche hope the house hunting and selling go well for you. When will you see Mr Psyche again? Are you planning another visit to Richmond before you move there?

Yogi is very quiet these days. Do you think maybe she's hibernating?

Well, the house next to Kate'sBoy is for sale in Chester. Bigger than his, corner lot, great neighborhood, live next to a cop, mother in law suite off house over 3 car garage.

He tried to get me to buy it, and if it weren't right next door to him, I might! But then, what's the point? He said renting would be easier later, but I say why pay 2 mortgages?


Typing is not going well. I had a work injury that sliced my knuckles pretty deep a few weeks ago, but since they didn't bleed much I just bandaided and went on with life (I filled out an incident report though - I'm not *that* silly).

As they were just not healing, since they were on my knuckles, I decided to upgrade to accident and go to workman's comp doctor.

Kate: I'm here because my wounds won't heal, because they're on my knuckles which bend.

Doctor (who has been through 4 years pre-med, 3 years med, residency and more than a few years practice)'s Official Diagnosis: Your wounds aren't healing because they're on your knuckles which bend.

Well, DUH! GRR. I asked for a finger splint and bandaids (sure, I could have gotten them at the drug store, but this was covered by workmen's comp and I'd already been through 15$ of bandaids and neosporen), and now I have that fun clacking noise going on with my middle and ring finger, which are incidentally banded together. I'm kinda impressed I could type this much!

Happy Burnett Day, y'all!

kate sorry to hear about your injury. Ouch! Which hand? I'm amazed you got anything typed! I think you should just go on compo and stay home and watch TV and not have to lift a finger! No pun intended. Hope you heal up real soon.

I had to go out on THURSDAY! And now I have to go out on FRIDAY! And I have both MB shows languishing on my TiVo and nothing to contribute to the Friday AM convo at work. Oooooooooh, wellllllll. More later.

PS: Owwweee. Kate.
PSS: I had "hair therapy" on Wednesday. Boy did I need it. I love my hairdresser. Kiss kiss.

I think Yogi is off on a business trip.

Kate your injury sounds crappy! Maybe you can peck at the keyboard with a pencil? You poor thing.

Hey Gang at Meet Market!!!

My business trip morphed into something completely different. Guess where I ended up on Wednesday?! Graceland! Yeah, home of Elvis and all the Elvis related sights and sounds. I have always wanted to go, even though I'm not a tried and true fan, I enjoy Elvis (how could you not enjoy him dancing with Ann Margrock in Leaving Las Vegas?,) so I was prepared to be somewhat amused by the whole experience. It was nothing at all like what I expected.

First of all, the house - totally tasteful. It's a wonderful old fashioned Southern stately home, small by modern thyroidal standards, but just lovely in the way these old stone homes are. The furnishings, completely unpretentious. Unpretentious is a kind word for the furnishings. This man loved fur. Fur chairs, fur beds, it just all looked a little too icky to me, probably because I wash my dog once a week. Forty year old unwashed fur doesn't do it for me.

I got to see all his jumpsuits and the bulletholes he shot in the old office/Vernon's office, one of his many cars, and Lisa Marie's swingset (I had the exact same swingset when I was a little girl. It was red and blue. I wonder who put it together? I remember the day my father put mine together.) Clearly, he was either a poor shot, or sometimes went shooting when he had had one too many somethings. I didn't have the fried peanut butter and bananna, though it was available.

I have to say, though it started out as amusing, I grew progressively touched by the way this gifted and unpretentious man touches so many people so deeply. There is an entire wall covered with a number of checks he wrote, all in one day, each for one thousand dollars to Memphis charities. Included were a Jewish community center, Catholic churches, innumerable hospitals, Salvation Army. He included everyone, equally. I was moved.

Did you know that thirty thousand people show up every year to walk past his grave at Graceland in a candlelight vigil? I saw the photographs. Those people sure do love that man tender. And it's surprisingly sweet. Very, very sweet.

Then yesterday, I ended up at the Art Institute of Chicago where I viewed the Rembrandt exhibition, which sparked a debate - who touched more people - Rembrandt or Elvis? Both have houses that people make a pilgrimage to visit. Both have work that is still enjoyed and appreciated. While Elvis died wealthy, Rembrand was buried in a rented grave.

All in 24 hours, you could say I went from the ridiculous to the sublime, but I think the two men are remarkably similar. - though that may be a complete lack of sleep talking!!!