I pre-ordered because... it was there. But I'm totally going to a bookstore to buy one as soon as it's out. My amazon order says September, too.

Professional opinions--broken or just sprained?

My opinion is: Ouch. Looks kinda breaky, but sprained is less worse and probably heals faster, so let's say that. I hope that happens very quickly. I did a similar thing to mine several years ago. I have much sympathy for your pain.

Ima buddy tape it to the next toe (when I can find our roll of sports tape). ER visit is a $150 copay and even urgent care is $75--I'm not paying that for someone to tape it up, when I can do it myself.

It hurts and looks awful but I think the swelling has peaked. I'll ice it and take a pain killer.

Yeah, that sounds about right, Cash--$150 is a huge copay! Though I'm not sure what my current one is anymore, my last one was $50 (unless they admitted you from the ER, then it was free). Which still peeved me. Where besides the ER am I supposed to go when I break a bone? (The two times I went, broken toe (reeeeeeally broken) and broken arm (yes, the infamous curling incident))

I'm sure you know, but I'm going to say anyway, that you have to be careful when you tape your tootsies to make sure they stay dry in between or the skin can get macerated (to use this week's word in a sentence). Use gauze or something in between the toes. And don't go jumping in puddles.

t /not a doctor but play one on the internet

macerated toes sounds like The Worst Thing Ever.

Just when I get all despairing about how rough things are (relatively) for Grace, I look across the nursery at another kid and realize things are and can be much worse. Today's baby was one whose legs are literally on backwards.

What's this I hear? The book has landed? Awesome!

Except for the panic part.

I spent some time with wee Grace, tonight, who was REALLY MAD. She de-intubated herself today, because she's all "ENOUGH OF THIS SHIT" and then they stuck it back in. She was kicking and punching and REALLY MAD.

I think it was because the nurse kept calling her "he" while giving her a bath. She was all, "BITCH, YOU ARE WASHING MY VAGINA RIGHT NOW, DID YOU NOT TAKE A BASIC ANATOMY CLASS AT YOUR BOZO NURSING SCHOOL?"

And I was all, RIGHT ON, GRACE.

But no one really understood all that but me, because I speak KickingPunchingish.

AND, Allyson was too polite to goggle, but the kid with the backward legs behind her was freaky.

ALSO ALSO I've got a copy of Allyson's book in my lap right now AIFG!

Hurrah for book availability! I shall go and fetch it from my local bookpusher ASAP.

I'm off to Readercon this AM with a song in my heart and caffeine in my veins. Of course, for the first couple hours I'm going to be helping at Registration which is more for aiding a friend in distress than fun, but that's enjoyable in its way....

The Dalai Lama likes super glue! From The Writer's Almanac

It's the birthday of the 14th Dalai Lama, born in Tibet (1936). He has written, in collaboration with other scholars, several dozen collections of Buddhist teachings. In 1959, he took 80,000 refugees to India rather than give in to Chinese rule in Tibet. Although he was schooled as a monk, he is also a good mechanic. When he was growing up in the monastery, he fixed broken machines of all kinds. Several years ago his younger brother gave him his first tube of Superglue. He was enchanted

Ouch, Cash! I agree with everyone -- I've never heard that there's anything in particular they can do with a little toe, so buddy taping is the way to go.

Hooray for Real Life Books!!

ION, why oh why do I realize things when it's too late? I sent off the wrong version of something at work on Tuesday. OK, granted, I never actually created the right version, but my plan is to do it today so it's ready if the issue actually comes up. Which it may not. Stupid work.