Caught up with my brother for dinner tonight. (I was off trying to enrol in some postgrad study in Finance. May be stymied by lack of undergrad study in Finance, despite having a Bachelor of Commerce, actuarial qualifications and being a Chartered Financial Analyst.That doesn't seem quite right to me.)

Anyway, I was explaining to him the demands of a new baby.

Brendan: "So it's rather like offering sacrifices to an angry and vengeful god."
Me: "Yes... If the angry god was demanding sacrifice, followed by cuddles."

We also noted that, like Cthulhu, with a baby you spend a lot of time hoping he doesn't wake up.

We also noted that, like Cthulhu, with a baby you spend a lot of time hoping he doesn't wake up.

So true. Is there any more nightmarish notion than: The Sleeper Awakens!

Matilda found a rare Barbie xmas ornament in the car (intended to be eBayed) and immediately opened it up, making it Not Mint.

Anyway, it's a heart shaped ornament with feathers and features a painting of Barbie on both sides.

She speculated about what it might be hiding inside.

Me: What do you think's inside?
Matilda: I don't know! Maybe treasure.....maybe milk.
Me: Maybe.
Matilda: I think it's beans. Magic beans.

Matilda is awesome!

(Just in case it hasn't been noted before.)

Dear God, Sparky, that's unbelievable assholery. Is there anyone you can appeal to?

How old is Matilda these days?

Matilda: I think it's beans. Magic beans.

Magic Barbie beans could easily be a selling point on eBay. Milk, less so.

This particular day she happens to be two years, seven months, two weeks, and two days, but tomorrow it'll probably be different.

Is there anyone you can appeal to?

No, that comes from the top. I was actually prepared for that answer since that was rumored to be true of people who took vacation days on Fridays during the summer, but I felt I had to ask. (Here in our library we've worked out a different scheme for the 1/2 day Fridays that allows us to take whole day Fridays, thus it had never come up for me before - but now they'll be looking closely at my leave time.)

Sparky, that is evil! I'm so sorry.

Just got an email from a student asking me to change his grade. Once again, no good reason given, just asking.

I think you should always be willing to change it downward.

In the Further Adventures of the Sinus Infection That Will Not Die, I'm having a CT scan of my head this afternoon, to see if there's anything in there. I suspect it's an alien embryo.