I have a meara, which I haven't in a long time.

Be psyched about Philly! Excellent people live here!

I am, and I know!

You need to email me with all the details, too. So I know where to find you.

That doesn't sound stalkerish at all, right?

I will, an no it does not.

Jen, I'm excited for you and Philly!!

Me, too, and thank you!

Notorious B.I.G. calms a crying, screaming baby.

That is awesome!

Almost seven-year-old has viral croup.

That is the opposite of awesome, and I hope it goes away quickly.

Best. Babyproofing. Ever.

Back to awesome.

I still have the handwritten paper with the recipe for Mrs. Smith's Congo Bars I got from my best friend's mother when I was 8...

Aw, that is... Aw.

Woot!!! This is the second time I've been able to negotiate a lower rate.

I am impressed and would like to emulate that behavior in the future.

***

In news of the day, I thoroughly enjoyed my day in DC, highlight being a lovely lunch with Bonny! So fun. I haven't seen a real, live buffista in a very long time. Um, I have not seen any other kind, either, continuing in my tradition of not being a crazy internet ax murderer.

I think we used the Better Homes cookbook. I can picture a blue binder. And we definitely had a James Beard. And then an obscure, old southern one that my mom has had forEVer and I still use the lemon ice-box pie recipe from, and would use the fudge recipe from if I made fudge.

Aw, that's great, brenda.

I realize I almost only use recipes for baking. I might look at recipes for ideas, but then I don't use them. Relatedly, I don't feel like eating the beef stew I have in the fridge for dinner, but I do feel like biscuits, so I guess I'll start with them and see how it goes. Stew = freehand, biscuits = recipe (why I don't memorize it is a mystery, but I guess my brain is too full?)

I'm trying to decide if I want to go to the candlelight vigil tonight. I feel like I ought to be there, as a member of the Penn State community. But it'll be a huge crowd, and I'm not so good with crowds. And, it's cold out there.

Hil,

aren't you still ill?

NO.

NO candlelight vigil.

NO.

I'm still coughing. I don't know if that counts as still ill. But being out in the cold does make the coughing worse.

Oh, and McQueary was placed on indefinite administrative leave.

I'm still coughing. I don't know if that counts as still ill. But being out in the cold does make the coughing worse.

That counts as being ill. No candles! No vigil!

Definitely stay out of the cold, Hil.

Coughing is definitely ill. Do you want pneumonia? If the answer is no, don't go.

If this were B'racy, we would have opened a discussion thread on this by now.