Yaay: One of my articles for our library newsletter ("Why Books are Best") was picked up and ran in the free city paper. ^__^

Boo: It ran with a typo that wasn't in the original article, which makes me look like an idiot. Is it that hard to copy and paste, Tim Messenger?

Yaay: Early voting is underway in my neck of the woods.

Boo: The Republicans filed a lawsuit to keep the early voting satellite locations in Gary, Hammond, and East Chicago (ie, where the brown people are) closed. A judge will rule on it later this week. Republicans can't win if everyone who wants to gets to vote, so they're trying to keep as many people away as possible. It still won't work, but you have to revile them for their efforts.

Yaay: Our library's new African American Fiction Author section went up yesterday, at long last.

Boo: Actually, there is no downside to this. I've wanted this for ages, we get asked for it all the time, and I'm thrilled we have something new to offer.

I volunteered at a high-volume, low-cost spay/neuter cat clinic this week. It was incredibly fast, I couldn't believe it. Everyone knew their place, therefore I tried to stay out of the way as much as possible. I loosened the straps that kept the cats in place on the kitty boards, put drops in their eyes and wrapped them in towels before putting them in the recovery position back into their cat carrier. Except for one sweet black cat in a pillowcase, who I let out because I felt sorry for her. I know it's the last resort when you don't have the money for a cat carrier, but I hate it. (I did it once when I was in high school when I took my Mom's cat to the vet and it traumatized us both for ages.) We then put them in rows for (sorta) handy retrieval later. All my life I've told myself that I'm not a squeamish person, but-- yes. I am a squeamish person. It's high time I admitted it. The room smelled like a butcher's and the ventilation in there wasn't all that wonderful. Ick. But I did manage to save a couple of uteruses for Anthony Bourdain to nosh on later.

I did notice a couple of things, namely the size of your cat is inversely proportional to the cat carrier you've brought it in. I swear to god people were shoving mountain lions into shoeboxes. One cat wouldn't fit in properly for safe recovery from anasthesia and had to lay out onto the table until she was a little more awake. About thirty minutes later, one of the vet's kids walked by and said, "hey, that one is waking up." I turned around just in time to catch a very large, very groggy and very pissed cat as she prepared to launch herself off the table to kill us all. That means she'll be fine, I guess. And then there was the tom who needed at least three shots to knock him out, and even then he wasn't letting go of his balls without a fight. Now he thinks about getting out of the rat race, nesting. Having an evening in with mom and dad, baking cookies and watching Steel Magnolias. "I don't know why, but I do."

Yesterday we had The Mater over for dinner, and I have to say I made a pretty decent pizza this time. The secret is roasting the tomatoes, then blending them with a few cloves of roasted garlic and at least a teaspoon of dried oregano, all from the garden. Yes, I'm bragging, what's it to you? I even came in second place in Scrabble twice in a row, which to my mind is really like coming in first, as The Mater is a Scrabblemonster.

This should make for an interesting bike ride home.

ETA: Made it home in one piece and my intestines still fulla junk. I know you're all relieved. I even did some grocery shopping. Nao moar hedexplodey y/y.

My mom had her birthday today, so I called her and wished her well. She celebrated all weekend with Shelley and it sounds like they had a grand time. She sounded calm and content, which is all I wish for her. She still misses her grandson, but who wouldn't? He's in hell Texas and can't see him as much as she'd like.

She is fond of saying that her birthday comes on the same week as Tax Day and the sinking of the Titanic. I tell her good things come in threes.*


*I DID NOT SAY THAT. I love my mother. We argue and bicker to show that we care.

Today's my birthday! I'm 36 and Vali bought me a lobster claw to steam as a tribute and stuff. Love? I can has. :D

Two things completely unrelated to me that I will appropriate as birthday presents:

1. Clinton sucked wind in Iowa-- this pleases me so much I can't tell you. Half a present goes to the first guy who finger-wags me for not Standing Up For The Sisterhood.

2. Jamie McCrimmon, the Doctor's Actual Proper Soulmate Part III. (The rest in this great series are here.) Okay, we're going to shoot this at a Guinness plant, so get loaded then climb down off the roof and swing from a helicopter ladder. Also, Isobel + Zoe= Yes Please. <3 <3 <3


I lost my brother's Target gift card. I am :(. I honestly don't remember tossing it. What's more likely is that I put it Somewhere Safe (like in Brigadoon) and sometime in 2013 I'll go Hey Neat-- Windfall!

Bright side-- while looking for Brother's Missing Gift Card I've found a lot of fun stuff. And a missing CD speaker. And a lot of postcards.

Who wants a postcard? Comments on this entry are screened so if you want one, drop me a response with your name and address. Don't worry about where you live, either. Even if you live in Antarctica, it's all good. I feel like sending them out far and wide.

I'm using some of my old political t-shirts as stuffing. At last they're getting some real use.

The Unabashed Librarian really loved my idea for a article this month. I find that completely charming.

While I don't believe in running more than five miles at a stretch because I'm like, take the bus you showoff, but the feeling I had this weekend when I realized Bush is going to be in office for more than a year, it must be how a marathon runner feels at mile 20. I mean, I really freaked out a little like this is never. going. to end. I think Australia was the last straw. Spain, Ireland, Poland, now the Australians, they all threw the bums out-- WHY ISN'T IT OUR TURN??? And this awful Congress is so chicken to challenge him on anything. Because he's so popular and all. So I'm taking to crafting and cooking instead of despair. Rage, rage against the dying of my spirit!

So. How do you guys cope? Or are you one of the magic 24 percent? I want to hear from you too, if only to point and laugh at you.