Barphe

Erratic probably needs a hug, too. After all, our neighbor to the North has to be pretty stressed out over the insane shenanigans going on over here.

Didn't sleep. Stomach roiled. Can't focus.

I'm in.

Ok, going on a trip and need books (hard copy, e-book or audible) to keep me sane. Please suggest

Personal lesson on the power of assumptions. For years good friends of ours have invited us up to their lake house for a summer visit. I never bothered to really think about it, and pictured a pleasant tree lined lake with jetties and row boats and while picturesque, not really my speed. Well, color me idiot. They were referring to a house on the shores of Lake Michigan. As in, soft sand beaches, and water to the horizon, and evening bonfires, and much more than my petty, limited, imagination had come up with. This year we took them up on their gracious invitation, drove 10 hours across parts of th U.S. I had ever seen before (and frankly, kind of boring and flat), and we've had a gorgeous few days at the beach. The kids have kayaked, been tubing, dragged a piece of driftwood from the lake and seen teeny worms ooze out, and had a blast. I can see Chicago from here (we're in Indiana), so I'm waving to y'all in the Windy City. (Maybe next time, we can take an extra day, or ten, and visit!!)

Buffyjunkie by DC you mean District of Columbia? As in my part of the world? If so, will you have a spare moment for a meet up?

Does anyone else miss the sometimes hilariously weird customized ads from the forum on TWoP? I'm sort of sick of boobs, fake celebrity stories and click-bait lists.

Chyna, wasn't it just yesterday when they were the sweetest little girls? It goes by so fast--insert cliche about fleeting youth and/or feeling old here. Honestly, no real complaints, it is just too easy to make fun of adolescent behavior, and conversely, adolescence is annoying for the one going through it, and the ones nearby.

I fell out of the habit of posting, although I keep up with everyone here and in the other place. Mostly, things are good, life finally stabilized in re caring for aging and demented relatives, and the kids are happy and healthy (happy being a relative term for my tween--oy! the attitude.) Love you all.

Windows 10 is better than 8 by a mile. I still prefer 7, but I'm not sure how much longer it will work. The interface of 10 is annoying, but if you devote more time to set up than you want, or should have to, you can make it user friendly. (Something that was nigh impossible on 8). Caveat: I have one PC at home, and the rest of my computers and devices are Apple. Grains of salt needed all around.

Fuck insomnia.

I don't know, that end of a horse performs a useful bodily function, and dusky's ex, is simply a waste of space, resources and, well, anything.

Warm fuzzies to you all.

Not really. Not adorable, just survivable. Observation of the week: Setting--Yesterday, at the shopping center parking lot, a man seeing a woman driver pull out of a spot, stopped and gave her directions on how to do so. She did not ask for help (to my eye she did not need it), yet he stood there and 'directed' the action. So, I realized I have never seen a man directing another man (unsolicited), and I have never seen a woman directing anyone (unsolicited). So yeah, male privilege.

I went to a lower school holiday concert (K-12). The show was par for the course, but the "adults?" OMG. To my right a woman with a super fancy camera with a mongo telephoto lens, taking pictures non-stop with flash. In a cavernous gymnasium. Like, I don't know shit about photography, and I know that cavernous chambers eat up light. To my left, a woman who could not, for the life of her, figure out how to silence her phone. It only rang 6 times during the one hour show. A row behind me, a man who was coughing up one, if not both, of his lungs. I should get myself tested for TB. Oh, and the cherry on top? Not one, not two, but MANY self important parents or grandparents who thought nothing of walking to the front, standing before the front row and filming entire numbers with their cell phones. Clearly, their capturing the precious moment on their devices was more important than the enjoyment of the other 400 or so audience members. I love people.