kills the pain, helps with healing. Works for me.

And wow, is real unsweetened cranberry juice TART!!!

It is. I drink it diluted with a lot of water. Like, 7:1.

And, related to the Taco Bell debacle, here is the unedited transcript of a conversation that occurred right afterward:

Me (in really horrible Mexican accent, waggling my thumb): Si, senor, I am el luchadore magnifico!

Me (in same horrible Mexican accent, waggling my other thumb): No mas, muchacho. I weel beat you down!

Me (back to thumb #1): No! No wan can keel El Fuego!

The Boy (waggling his thumb): Arrrrrrrr!

. . .

Me: That was a pirate! Pirates aren't luchadores!

The Boy: There could be luchadore pirates!

Me: No. No, there could not be. It simply wouldn't happen!

The Boy: I think there could be if they wanted to.

Me: ...I can't talk to you when you're like this.

MASSIVE DORKS.

Buffista sprog? [link]

Buffista sprog?

Little genius!

And also, what's up with schools banning books now??

Shir, loads of grand/father-ma.

Steph, hope the UTI clears quickly.

My STBX Landlady is a passive aggressive person, and she makes me passive aggressive or just aggressive. Can't wait to see the last of her. I'd rather just be straight up with people.

Lots of ~ma, Shir.

Harvey-purrs and punctuation, erin_o.

Peace and stress-relief~ma to Shir's dad, and her whole family.

Cranberry~ma for Teppy.

OH HAI Minnesota. (Apologies to Daniel and other Midwesterners, but my experience confirms that behavior.)

One of the residents I work with is sooooooo this. She will walk up and say, "I don't need an aspirin."

Then we have to go through a whole litany of, "Do you want one?"

"No. Maybe I can have one tomorrow."

"Where does it hurt?"

"Nowhere."

"Is your (insert various arthritic joints and other known issues) bothering you?"

"Maybe just a little."

"Point to where it hurts." Which she may or may not do. Or perhaps five minutes after convincing me that she is not actually in any discomfort and had been just flapping her gums to make conversation, she will say, "My shoulder hurts. I'm sorry to bother you. Can I have an aspirin?"

On the other hand, anything she complains about outright? Total attention-getting behavior. So we steer her to things like applying Ben Gay or using sweet oil ear drops, or I make her "Special Medicine"by mixing different juices with water.

I will not deal with people who shout. Hubby is from a family who shouts, and I have been known to get in the car and drive away, then come back in half an hour and ask if the conversation can be conducted in a civlized manner. He'll talk to me quietly and viciously, but I can cope with that. Shouting just makes my mind shut down and feels like a failure of language and communication.

At least he's never done the "Don't you dare walk away from me" thing, because that would get responded to with, "Ok, you walk away. I hope you'll be able to find somewhere to live."

I will not be shouted at. By anyone.

Cranberry~ma for Teppy.

I'm peeing bright orange! I expected it, and yet it's disconcerting.