My nephew is adorable. I think he's finally figured out I'm not just here to visit but here for good.

Yesterday I went with Mom to pick him up after school and take him to swim meet (she and I were going to look at cars but her mechanic flaked out on us again). Anyhoo we were waiting and I was over by the side and Mom was standing more at the curb and when E came out the door he made a beeline for Mom and then did a little head swivel like "is someone else here" and then ran over to me and gave me a great big hug. Mom didn't rate a hug.

The other day I was sitting next to him and he was just snuggled up to me and we were working on his homework ( this was last Monday... I accidentally had him do all of hte homework for the week in one day...opps) and he just kept saying "I miss you! I miss you right now!"

He's also an awesome swimmer and I was a little bit worried that he was being kept too active but the kid has energy to burn. Tomorrow is a day off so Mom will have him, which means I'll have him. So we are going to watch Big Hero 6 and I have to come up with something to burn off some energy. I'm thinking something to do with the stairs to the basement. Because it's going to be cold and I don't want to run around in the cold.

The cats are getting along too for the most part.

Aw, that all sounds good, askye!

I made doughnuts last night and I brought them down to the staff lounge. I do want to run and go grab them saying, "I need all of these right now!"

Thanks for reminding me I had a protein bar in my drawer, Dana. That was actually, oddly enough, what I wanted.

Another hour before I can take another dose of cold medicine. I can do this. And nobody is particularly making me want to strangle them. It's all good.

First words out of my mouth this morning at 6 AM, at full volume, "Are you fucking kidding me??".

So today got off to a good start. I want to throat punch an entire global multinational company who will now probably never be a client, as this morning's email took us from "are they crazy" to "fuck this shit." I think the come-to-Jesus with their leadership is happening now.

Eeep, Brenda. That is a bad start.

I'm waiting for my pt appt. The plan is to try some manual therapy to ease my headaches. My neck and shoulder muscles are so tight. Will see how this goes.

It's a rainy Tuesday in SF and the police pulled me over to say, "Hey, your registration has expired."

But I don't mind. You know why? They didn't give me a ticket, just a warning.

AND Jon B. and FAQ!Wife and FAQ!Boy (not a baby anymore) are in town and Zmayhem get to see them.

Also, there's a chance for other Buffistae get togethers this week, which is pleasing.

That is a terrible start, brenda. But maybe there's some thin comfort in their having finally crossed the line? It could be a workplace bonding experience; if you can't come together over a common cause, a common enemy will do in a pinch.

{{{Kat}}} I don't even know the details of the guttedness, but I don't need to know. I just don't want any of us to be heading into a long holiday weekend feeling gutted.

Ginger, I so wish I lived closer or that you could somehow be magically transported from your hospital to mine. I'm not good for anything that requires long travel or money, but if you were local I'd be organizing the crap out of your home or badgering everyone I knew at work about the best ways to ease your load.

(N.B.: This is not to be taken by any localistas as an invitation to get terribly ill and be admitted to my hospital. NOBODY IS ALLOWED TO BE TERRIBLY ILL. IT IS FORBIDDEN. But, if you do, I've got troops I can mobilize.)

In further cereal posting, [TJ's Maple Shredded Bite Size Wheats Plus Product 19 and blueberries] I educated myself yesterday.

I was reading this summary article on the current state of China's political/economic status and I was gobsmacked to realize how ignorant I was.

This article: [link]

So, I had some vague notion that a ruling oligarchy of Communist Party elites were running China in a semi-capitalistic, mostly authoritarian way in the post-Mao era.

But I DIDN'T realize that one guy surged ahead and took power three years ago and now it's all under his rule. President, Head of the CP, controls the army.

Did you all know that?

Yeah, so, Xi Jinping is the one of the most powerful people in the world and I didn't know that at all.

This is what happens when you're not reading newspapers every day with their broad base approach. You have to search for your news and you wind up getting deep tunnels of information and missing the big picture.

I feel like a Foreign Affairs Ignoramus.

Eek, Hec! Get rid of that car! Let's make it a goal to get that thing gone, and car-share it up and live high and fat on not having to pay big city car insurance ever again. Or at least live medium and not emaciated.

Also, bless that warning-giving cop.