Two questions. Why did so many of my students decide to write on congenital insensitivity to pain?

They've been reading Flowers in the Attic, or whichever book in the series that was?

And why are their papers so painful to read?

See above.

But it feels weird not to let my cousin know that I'm thinking of her and vibing "let it be nothing" vibes.

I have the opposite ish going on. I dog-walked for a friend over the holidays, and really, if you're trying to keep it a secret, possibly best not to leave the ultrasound posted on the side of the fridge right next the bag of chow on the counter.

You guys! I have train hijinks!

I am entirely unclear on how this happened, but we got on the train in Indianapolis...with tickets for tomorrow. They didn't catch it but the Chicago station lounge folks did! We tried to rebook but it would have been an additional $500 even if they had room, which they didn't. So we are now stranded in the Windy city for an extra day.

So if any Chicagoistas want to rescue us this evening, we have absolutely nothing to do for twenty eight hours! We did manage to get a Holiday Inn for less than an arm and a leg ($139), but of course can't check in until noonish.

Thankfully we're ensconced in the first class lounge, so we have a place to chill and a way to stash our bags, so we're pretty mellow for stranded travelers.

But train travails! I have no idea why it was booked wrong, or why we didn't notice during the umpteenmillion times I checked the tickets. Oops.

I've found that houseboys don't always take care of the chores. sigh.

I will go grocery shopping today too, in solidarity with Perkins. Also going to go exercise this morning. And, I expect, fail to finish grading all 10 papers that are left, which means a couple students won't get their papers back until tomorrow night. Oh well.

I'm going to the theatre at 6:30 (thanks, aurelia!) but if you want to meet up earlier for a cocktail or early dinner I could totally do that.

They've been reading Flowers in the Attic, or whichever book in the series that was?

ha ha brenda! I suspect that there was some class last spring where they say a documentary on the CIP since all 3 reference the same young girl.

Oh my goodness, Liese!

I think I did that for my work trip this week -- booked the return for the following day by accident. Luckily, I changed both tickets anyway.

So I'm making a tabbouleh-ish thing, but I don't have any lemon. Should I put some vinegar in, or no? If so, what kind of vinegar? I have several.

Rice wine vinegar or something mild like that would probably work.

Well, there's certainly worse places to be stranded than Chicago, which also has a spiffy public tranportation system that will take you really cool places like the Field Museum and so on!

but if you want to meet up earlier for a cocktail or early dinner I could totally do that.

Totally possible. (928) 369-8321 if you want to text or call. The hotel is this downtown Holiday Inn. Is that super far from you? Is there something near here? We're all "Transportation Ack!" right now and will be walking to the hotel from the train station. Hee.