Good luck with the job situation, sarameg.

I hope all the overworked, over-scheduled, and overwhelmed get a good break soon.

I get tomorrow off, so that'll help.

That's just a guess; I've bought my swimsuits online for the past many years.

I was going to say this. My most recent swimsuit purchase was Lane Bryant (in store), but that was closer to swimsuit season. The suit before that was either Lane Bryant catalog [link] or Roaman's. [link]

Catching up after much too long ...

I clicked on a lot of the music links - some of the carols I really love. I do prefer the older, more traditional ones. I was reading a collection of Connie Willis stories and one - All Seated on the Ground - was inspired by her years of singing in a choir. I have not been LDB'd yet, but I've been avoiding stores.

Sadly, the local Barnes & Noble - the last chain bookstore in town - is closing this month. Good for my wallet, bad for my book accumulation. I've avoided the public library for years because I'd had so much trouble with returning books that were never checked in and being charged for the books when I couldn't return them ... except for the cases when I could go and pull them off the shelves. I may have to try them again - I've been feeding much of my book habit with either remaindered books or a local used book store that is (1) very cheap and (2) uses the money to fund a literacy program.

The office party is Friday, but I'm taking the day off ... I'm really not in the mood for enforced hilarity, games, etc.

Now my mom asked me if "the guy with the pointy ears" is from Star Wars. I thought she meant Yoda. She meant Spock.

So I dressed as a clown and visited nursing homes as outreach from my church when a kid. No preaching or even God talk, but it was definitely called Clown Ministries.

This is the first time I can actually imagine being afraid of msbelle.

I HAVE HAD ENOUGH.

Sorry. just had to get that out there.

My coworker mentioned today that her husband believes men are discriminated against.

Well, I suppose if he's talking about divorce and custody battles in family court he's correct. Or was he defining discrimination as women's rights and interests not automatically being dismissed in favor of men's?

I didn't ask. Hopefully, my expression made it clear how I felt about that.

Right now, the standard response around here to " I got jury duty summons" is widening eyes and "Freddie Gray?"

So I'm going to let you all practice being Baltimoreans:

I got jury summonses for February 4.

For reals.