Election Day victories, large and small

I'm watching the election from a bar in San Francisco, and CNN calls Obama's re-election. At first, I didn't believe it - it was way too early! Then I realized that it was past 11:30 on the east coast, and that it was entirely reasonable that our amazing President had triumphed.

In other HUGE news, Maryland's Question 6 - marriage equality - had also passed. After the disappointments of 2008, this year seems to herald a turning of the tide for gay rights.

And in a smaller but more adorable victory, my lovely mother voted (in Virginia) for the first time ever. She became a proud naturalized citizen in 2009 - almost 40 years after moving to this country - and this was her first general election. Here is the email she sent us, in its entirety:

Dear family,

I voted! Ha, ha, ha!

Love,
Mom

Dusting off the old personal blog...

This November, I'm trying to blog every day - so far I've udpated my no-longer-new gaming blog, lafemmedm.blogspot.com, and plan to post on the TV blog, tvsluts.blogspot.com. It only seems right to come back to the one that started it all, my personal blog.

Let's see, what's new and exciting? I've been traveling quite a bit this year - down to Florida for my friend Kara's wedding, up to New York to visit my friend Sarah a couple of times, a long trip to California to see my freshman roommate Erin, jaunts up to Baltimore for Otakon and Baltimore Comic Con, a trip to a cabin for an IRL meeting of my bridge club, our usual Vegas vacation at Chris and Kent's timeshare, and an adventure to Orlando with my whole little family in tow. This week I'm heading out to San Francisco for a conference and to hang out with my friend Mike. Whew!

I love traveling, but sometimes I hate travelers. Any time a large group of strangers comes together with a common goal, it is an opportunity for us to be our best or worst selves. It seems like many people choose the latter. I was once on a flight that was delayed due to a storm in the airport we were approaching. The pilot assured us that our connecting flights would be delayed, as well. One woman clearly did not believe him, because as soon as we touched down she grabbed her bag and promptly began pushing her way to the front. "I have to make a connection in 20 minutes!" she cried, shoving an old lady with her overstuffed suitcase. So. Aggravating!

Then there are people like my father, who shifted seat three times to allow various families to sit together on the way to Orlando. He did so cheerfully, without a single complaint - he saw it as a small thing, and it was. But small kindnesses like that can change our attitude towards travel and our fellow travelers. I think we can all learn from my Little Dad's big-hearted example.

A Blog For Mom

Ever since I fell of the NaNoBloPo bandwagon, I haven't had the heart to blog. I know this has come as a huge disappointment to my many, many, fans - in other words, my mom. Therefore, I write today under strict instructions from Mama Sri. Please enjoy.

Today I started reading Mindy Kaling's book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? So far, the accounts of her childhood have been eerily similar to my own. Which on one level is awesome - who doesn't love a book they can relate to so completely? On another level, part of me is thinking, "Crap! Now what am I going to write about?"

It's been a not-so-secret ambition of mine to one day become a professional humor writer and/or novelist. This blog is basically an outlet for that dream deferred. I figured my experience as a chubby Indian girl growing up in suburbia was pretty unique. Even today, I play around with titles... South in the South - referencing my status as a South Asian growing up in Virginia, or maybe Cornbread and Curry - my favorite combo of East/West traditions on one steaming plate. But if Kaling has already covered that ground, what am I going to do? 

I'm probably being too narrow-minded in my thinking. Surely the market can support at least one more Indian American humorist... And if not, I always have my back-up plant - get a PhD in bioethics and write a textbook. 

Dammit...

Adventures in Home-making

I awoke this morning to a scene of wanton destruction. Unlike every other morning of my life, it wasn't totally my fault. My pet rabbit, Harvey, had escaped his enclosure. What's more, he managed to tip over his supposedly un-tip-able one-gallon water feeder. His timing was, as usual, impeccable - I had planned to clean the apartment prior to the arrival of my folks this afternoon, and I had brunch plans that would take up most of my morning. SIGH.

Somehow I managed to corral the bun, clean most of his mess, rush through a shower, and make it to Eastern Market in time for brunch with my friends. We ate at Ted's Bulletin, a classy kind of place with a very tasty breakfast menu and "adult" *wink wink* milkshakes. Thus fortified, I was able to return and pretty most of my place up in time for my parent's arrival. As I'm also having my Friendsgiving dinner tomorrow, I exiled Harvey to the guest bedroom and spruced up the place with decorations stol- I mean, re-purposed from my friend Kristin's wedding a few weeks back.

Ta-Da!

My problem is, I don't have much of a nesting instinct. So beyond this, my house is kind of stark. I'm hoping the liveliness of the company will make up for the austerity of the room. No pressure, dinner guests!

Lessons from the Family Sri

Yay, it's the return of "Lessons from the Family Sri." For those of you who missed our previous classes, please click the "lessons" tag below.

Today's Lesson - Communications

Me (calling my brother on the phone): Hey, Monster! I'm making you the beneficiary on my life insurance, and I need your social security number.
Him: Umm...
Me: Let me guess, you don't want to say it over the phone.
Him: Right.
Me: I don't suppose you'd like to send it via email.
Him: Ha!
Me: Then what the hell am I supposed to do? Use telepathy to read it directly from your mind?
Him: Yes. Go!
Me: I will destroy you someday.

Oh, hi...

I'm going to try to get back in the swing of blogging by joining in on National Blog Posting Month (also known as NaBloPoMo ... no, seriously). This is mostly because I'm too chicken to work on a novella for National Novel(la) Writing Month (NaNoWriMo - you can't make this stuff up. Well, I guess you can, but I didn't).

Anyway, the first prompt was something like, "what is your favorite part of writing?" I guess my favorite part of writing (and life in general) is making people laugh. I had one of my bosses cracking up today with my 'Indian parents' routine, complete with accents. For anyone who knows me, you know I do this all the time and that it is comedy gold. The best part is that my parents like me to "talk like an Indian," too. They used to make me trot out my little routine at dinner parties for the amusement of their friends. So embarrassing, but obviously it just provided me with more and more material. A vicious cycle of hilarity.

My boss: Sri, you are so funny!
Me: Yeah, but you know it all comes from pain.
My boss: Ha ha... ha?

So, yeah. I have heard from a couple of people that this blog is funny from time to time. Honestly, laughing at myself and life is the only way I stay sane. Well, relatively speaking...

Next: "If you knew that whatever you ate next would be your last meal, what would you want it to be?" Prepare yourself for a breathtaking tribute to KFC.

Do I even have to say it?

Just in case you all were wondering/worried, my last post was my annual April Fool's Day prank. And not posting for the past three months was all an elaborate lead-in... Anybody buying that? No? Oh well, can't blame a girl from trying.

As someone once said, "I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once." That's what it's been like for me since January. New job, new condo, etc etc. And have I mentioned I'm now going on dates with Indian men my mother finds on the internet? Somewhere in all that, blogging fell by the wayside.

The new condo is pretty sweet, though. It's up in Maryland, which is closer to work and helps me check "live outside of Virginia" off my bucket list. A couple of my friends have been weirdly off-put by me switching states. It seems that Northern Virginia hates Maryland like Southwest Virginia hates Northern Virginia. Oh yeah, I went there.

What's that? You actually don't care where the heck I live but want to hear more about the random Indian men? Apologies, fair readers, but that will have to be a post for another time.

New Year's Resolutions

I don't usually make year-long resolutions... as my friend Maggie says, "I strive for constant self-improvement." Which, for me, mostly means I get a new big idea fluttering into my little brain every three weeks or so. This year, I have mostly the same resolutions as every year:

1. Exercise to get healthier and lose weight
2. Write more/more often (in, I dunno, a blog or something)

The problem always is the lack of accountability. However, this year I've decided to run/walk a 5k sometime this spring with several friends. If I don't start working out now, I won't be able to keep up and/or finish. I'm half expecting my competitive spirit to take over completely, forcing my weary body across the finish line. Fun!

On the writing front, I got a nice incentive at the New Year's Eve party I went last night. I ran into someone from college who stumbled upon this very blog! "I wasted half and hour at work because of you," he said. I was flattered (and a little apologetic) - people actually read this nonsense!

As long as there are three or four people out there (and my mom totally counts) who want to read about my shenanigans, I have a responsibility - nay, a duty - to keep writing. So Happy New Year, everyone! Look forward to more frequent posting and, remember, you brought this upon yourselves.

Thanks, friends

It's only been a couple of days since Gilda died, and I can't help but feel a little weird for being so emotional. I used to think people who obsessed over their pets were a little wacky. Now, I completely get it. While I didn't see my pet as my child, as some people do, she was family. It's this feeling of intense loss that leads cat ladies everywhere to take Fluffy VII to the taxidermist. We don't want to let go.

On the positive side, my (human) friends and family have been amazingly supportive. Everyone has a story about a beloved pet who has passed, and no one lets me feel crazy for missing Gilda so much. This is immeasurably helpful - otherwise I'd be locked up in my own neurotic head space, feeling alternatively stupid for caring and guilty for feeling stupid.

Today I even started singing again, which is a sure-fire indicator that the very worst of my emotional turmoil has passed. I'm not a good singer, but singing makes me happy (and vice versa). Of course, it reminded me of how I used to sing to Gilda. I'd always put her in the lyrics, like: "My Bunny Valentine" and "Hey, There, My Gilda." She would look up at me, nose twitching, with an expression that clearly said: 'What is that noise? Are you injured?'

*sigh* Good times, little bunny friend. Good times.

Happy New Year!

As you can probably appreciate, December was not a good month for blog entries. My usual birthday-blues dovetailed nicely into holiday madness, with additional fellowship-related stress. Argh! Anyway, things have settled down a bit (or am I just resigned to my fate?), so here I am to ring in the new decade with a recap of 2009. Hold on to your keyboards, this ought to be good.

I started the year working in the same job I got right out of grad school. It had it's ups (my colleague FV and my awesome patients) and it's downs (pretty much everything else). I was definitely ready for a change, so I applied for and got my current fellowship in DC.

This has been a dream of mine since grad school, so I was super excited. But I was also nervous about the big transition. Happily, Gilda and I managed our move to DC with only a few minor disasters - going from a two-bedroom condo to a studio apartment took some serious downsizing. My family was amazing, helping me pack and taking a lot of my crap back to Castle Sri with them. Thanks Mom, Dad, and Monster - I couldn't have done it without you!

The fellowship so far has been good. I got to go to Hawaii for a work conference, so already it's been well worth the effort ;-) Right now I'm still working in public policy at an institute within the NIH, but my next move is to find a spot on Capitol Hill. Easier said than done, I assure you! But I am determined remain optimistic (because the alternative is curling up into a little ball under my desk and refusing to come out). Pray for me, friends!

On a more personal note, I love living in DC. So many of my friends from undergrad live in DC or NoVA, it's like being back at W&M again. I've gone native, exchanging my beloved Corolla, Sheldon, for a metro SmarTrip pass. This makes visiting home a bit more difficult, but my family has been great about visiting me in DC. We spent Xmas here - went to a museum, saw a movie, did some shopping, etc.

Those are the broad strokes, as I see them. It's been a good year - I'm definitely happier! Here's a little preview of what (I hope) will go down in 2010:
1. Finding a spot on Capitol Hill
2. Going to Atlantic City for Maggie's birthday
3. Finishing up my certificate program in NY
4. Refinancing my condo in C'ville
5. World peace (hey, a girl can dream)

Worst. Hindu. Ever.

Two weeks ago was Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. It's kind of a big deal, since it's one of the few festivals that most Hindus celebrate - and thus, one of the few that have made it across the pond to become a part of American Hindu traditions. Of course, I didn't even know it was coming until a couple of days before, when my friend Davina mentioned it. Stupid lunar calendar, always messing me up. In my defense, I did call home.

Me: Happy Diwali (or Deepavali, if you prefer)!
Mom: Happy Diwali, Kutty! Did you do pooja?
Me: Well, no.
Mom: Did you light a lamp?
Me: Um...
Mom: At least do something!
Me: I'm actually on my way to a friend's house. How about I light something on fire there?
Mom: *displeased silence*
Me: Heh. Gotta go.

And as it turns out, even President Obama celebrated Diwali (OMG SECRET HINDU!).



Was this a foolish political move, sure to alienate his key constituents? Hardly. Check out this Newsweek article: We Are All Hindus Now. Based on academic analysis and survey data, it seems that more Americans are subscribing to Hindu beliefs ... though they probably don't know it.

This makes perfect sense to me. "Hinduism" is just that - an "ism" artificially created to encompass a group of people holding widely divergent beliefs. There are tensions and disagreements and feuds, but for the most part Hindus acknowledge that there are many spiritual truths. What could be more egalitarian, more American, than this individualized approach to faith?

I'm sure President Obama didn't put this kind of thought into his Diwali message. He was probably trying to be nice, or politically correct, or both. It just makes me feel good when my faith can take center stage, instead of being marginalized or forgotten. Even if I am the worst Hindu ever.

Down the rabbit hole

Lately, Gilda has been acting out. She moves her litter pan around the cage (though she still uses it, thank god), tears up the drop cloth in her enclosure, and doesn't allow me to pick her up. I know that bunnies are not as affectionate as dogs, or even cats. But it's a tad depressing when you can't even pet your pet.

So when my parents came to pick her up last weekend, it should have been a big relief. I'm going to be out of town next week, and this was the most convenient time for them to come collect my little charge. Once we had moved her cage, I took the opportunity to sweep and mop her area. Now there's nothing but an empty corner where the little miscreant used to dwell.

I miss her so much.

When I get up in the morning I usually say, "Good morning, Gil." When I leave for the day, I admonish her to "Be good!" Sometimes, when I'm lying in bed at night, I tell her my troubles. Yes, I know it's insane to be talking to a rabbit. A rambunctious (dare I say, rascally?) rabbit, at that. But I can't wait for my parents to bring her back in two weeks, so I can hear that familiar scrabbling when I return from work and say, "I'm home."

Last Day

I'm sitting in my office with the door closed, my second piece of Going Away cake souring in my stomach. This was the cake I specifically requested be ordered from Maryland, a rich chocolate topped with a decadent caramel icing. Too rich and too decadent, as it turns out. I wish I had a toothbrush.

But even if I were that kind of slave to oral hygiene, I cleaned out my desk yesterday. There's nothing in these drawers except a couple of keys without locks, a spare computer cable or two, and dust. Lots of dust. The only thing left to do is box up my textbooks and clear the last few personal items off the top of my desk.

Here's my graduation picture, and a few candid photos of friends. The good highlighters that I brought from home, and my tiny mouse-shaped pencil sharpener. I'm pretty sure some of my personal contacts got mixed into my Rolodex, so I should probably fish those out. Two thank-you notes from patients. In the corner, some bottles and boxes for recycling. My file box of scientific articles. My diplomas on the wall, mustn't forget those.

This morning, I was elated. I woke up at 6:20 and couldn't get back to sleep, I was so excited. My last day. Sitting at my desk, doing whatever busy work my boss could find for me, I was dancing in my chair. Then my mom called me during my lunch break and said, "It is your last day! Think of all the things you've achieved over the past three years!"

This job... this job.

Only an hour and half left.

Who's touching these monkeys pigs?

I was at IHOP yesterday with my friends Maggie and Rachel. As soon as we were finished, my phone rang. It was my father, with a dire warning regarding this swine flu outbreak: eight cases in the U.S. and dozens of deaths in Mexico (since then the numbers have gone to 20 and 103 - but still no deaths in the U.S.). I found myself intensely glad that my father hadn't called until after I'd finished my Pork 'n' Eggs.

Mmmmm, potentially contaminated meat.

Joking aside, the idea of animal-to-human disease transmission is kind of terrifying. The most famous cases are probably mad cow disease (from eating the brain or spinal cord of infected cattle) and avian flu (from direct contact with infected birds or their droppings). Since I don't eat beef and am not a poultry farmer, I felt relatively safe from those particular outbreaks. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control website, there have been documented cases of swine flu passing between humans. That's part of the reason the World Health Organization has declared this swine flu outbreak in North America to be 'a public health emergency of international concern.' In other words, "Don't freak out or anything, but this could become a pandemic."

So what's a girl to do - hole up in a bunker to wait out the zombie porcine apocalypse? My dad says that's not necessary... and as a veterinary microbiologist, he should know. Basically, he told me to pretend like it's flu season - wash my hands, take my vitamins, and get plenty of rest. On the plus side, staying warm in this 90-degree heat wave shouldn't be a problem. And at the first sign of sniffles (actually, fever or cough), I'm to report to my doctor ASAP for examination and respiratory swabbing (where they rub long Q-tip along the back of your throat until you gag a little bit). Yay.

The good news is that standard antivirals work well against this disease. While the common flu virus is resistant to such medications, this strain is actually a "triple assortment" - a recombinant virus containing DNA from avian, swine and human influenza. Science fact is always stranger that science fiction. Still, I'm on board with President Obama - we shouldn't panic. But hopefully, once the dust settles, we can take a look at why over 100 people in Mexico died from the flu.

--

P.S. I'm just kidding about the contaminated meat - you can't get swine flu from eating pork. Also, the title of this post is from the song Think About It by Flight of the Conchords:
"There's people on the street getting diseases from monkeys.
Yeah, that's what I said - they're getting diseases from monkeys.
Now there's junkies with monkey disease...
Who's touching these monkeys? Please,
Leave these poor sick monkeys alone -
They've got problems enough as it is!"

Why My Dad Should Rest

It has been brought to my attention that my last post, followed by radio silence, was somewhat alarming. Let me reassure you all - my dad is well, and I haven't punched anyone in the face. Yet.

He's being very stubborn about resting - he thinks that because he feels OK, he must be OK. So I have started calling him daily with a new reason for him to take it easy. Here's what I have so far:

1. My dad's research is in infectious disease, and he works with some pretty nasty pathogens. When something goes wrong or breaks in his lab, you don't call a janitor - you call the CDC. So it's really not OK for him to fall down at work.
2. He believes that the only difference between something that is alive and something that is dead is that the living creature is able to gather electrons from its environment. As he puts it, "life is an electron cheat." And we want him around cheating electrons for many years to come.
3. Just because he has a titanium stent in his heart does not make him some sort of unstoppable cyborg.
   
4. Once, my dad and I saw a disheveled Indian man in the airport. His suit jacket and tie were askew and his gray hair stuck up in all different directions. I turned to my dad and said (because I'm a brat and I thought it would be funny), "That's you, minus me." He chuckled and agreed. But do you know what me minus him is? Nothing.

If you have any further suggestions, please let me know - I need all the help I can get him to bloody well lie down.

I'm sitting here in my office trying to convince myself not to put my fist through the wall. Or rip the door off it's hinges and throw it down the hallway. It's a toss-up. The first option has the benefit of being remotely possible. Yet with the second, I'm less likely to break every bone in my hand and end up in the emergency room.

My father had a heart attack.

Even typing the words, staring at them, there is no way for me to put them together in a way that makes sense to me. Attack had a father my heart. On some level I understand that he is fine now, that he had his angioplasty and is resting comfortably. I heard from my mother that he was joking with the nurses when they put him on the heart monitor. And before they did anything, he had my brother call me to let me know that everything was going to be alright.

Still, I have this overwhelming urge to break things. To scream and cry and exact revenge on a world that would dare harm my father. And I think there must be something wrong with me, that my first reaction isn't fear, or grief. It is rage.

Me: Get better soon, or I will kick your butt.
Dad: With both feet?
Me: Damn straight.

And I Suck!

Would you believe that not blogging for over a month is a Sri Family holiday tradition? No? Well, it was worth a shot. Here are the highlights of what's been going on with me.

1. I spent my birthday with wine, friends, and baked goods. My brother got me a PS3, which I just set up this weekend. I'm already developing Gamer's Thumb from playing Ratchet&Clank for twelve hours ... at a time.

2. The next weekend I went up to DC to play Dungeons and Dragons. You read that right - I play the geekiest game ever. I am not ashamed. This is why I can't be friends with all the weird hipsters in this town.

3. Luckily, I am able to find my own level. At Wistar's bridal shower, I was just sulking in the corner until I met Mimi, one of her cousins. She and I bonded over our shared love of the SciFi/Fantasy genre, and I'm trying to get her to invite me over to play with her Legos.

4. On my way to Richmond to visit Brendan, Sarah, and Mr. & Mrs. Z I almost ran over two dogs that were wandering around the interstate. You know how I feel about dogs - that they are barely-tamed wolves just waiting for us to let our collective guard down. But something in my brain changed the day I bought Gilda ... if she somehow got out of her cage, out of my room, out of the house and into the street, I'd want someone to stop. So I pulled over and called animal control. Meanwhile, the dogs are running in and out of traffic and I'm trying to stop them with increasingly panicked calls of, "come here, puppy!" The animal control officer told me to leave them alone, as they were more likely to run into traffic if someone was there 'agitating' them. I still wonder what happened to those poor dogs.

5. I got a haircut (shock!), from my good friend Leslie. I finally know why women open up to their stylists - having someone else wash your hair is just so soothing. You immediately revert to childhood and begin feeling like you can trust this person with your deepest, darkest secrets. No that I have any ... *shifty eyes*

6. Holidays at Casa de Sri were a low-key affair, since my grandmother passed in February and we're not supposed to do any celebrating for a year. We had a nice turkey dinner on the 24th thanks to an awesome crock-pot recipe I provided, and exchanged gifts on the 25th. I got my mother season three of Meerkat Manor, my father a golf cap from Banana Republic, and a dance shoe-bag for my brother. They were, of course, thrilled.

7. Wistar's wedding was beautiful, quirky, and comfortable. I was lucky enough to get some one-on-one time with the bride at the after party, which made me happy. Around two in the morning my new friends, Lynsie and Collin, and I were walking back to our respective cars when we heard a series of bangs coming from the parking lot.

Me (in a voice of cautious optimism): Maybe it's firecrackers?
Collin: Those were gunshots.
Lynsie: We'll walk you to your car.

Not to spoil the ending, but I survived.

8. I spent New Year's Eve at home, because my plans to go to New York fell through. C-SPAN was showing Obama's election day speech, which was awesome (of course I'd seen it already, but re-watching it struck the perfect note for the new year). I switched over to the ball drop just before midnight, then kissed Gilda and sang her a few bars of Auld Lang Syne.

9. Work was kind of awful the past month - I had way too many complicated cases on my desk. I think I permanently ruined Christmas for at least two families, because I had to give them such bad news. On the upside, things are settling down now. At least, they're quiet enough for me to blog!

I hope this mega-post makes up for the long wait! If I had made a new year's resolution, it would be to post more frequently. Pictures and posts about Egypt are coming, I promise!

And I'm Back!

Hello, friends! I have returned from far off Egypt - battered and bruised, but undefeated by the brutal desert winds. And I brought chotchkies!

A few updates, before I commit myself entirely to travel blogging. The anniversary of my blessed natal event fast approaches, and as is my wont I am making a few Birthday Resolutions. This gives me a running start on abandoning said resolutions in the New Year. Beyond the usual promises (get something published, exercise more, cut back on sweets ... *wibble*), I have decided that 2009 is going to be my year. Something is going to change, and it's going to be big. A modicum of self-preservation (didn't think I had one, did you?) prevents me from going into detail ... but keep your eyes open.

On a more somber note, I am following the unfolding story of the Mumbai attacks with a great deal of sadness. My thoughts are with all of my friends with relatives in Mumbai, as well as with the strangers who have had a loved one killed or injured in this senseless violence. I wish I could say something comforting, but everything I type comes out as the usual, useless platitudes. So I'll leave you all with this quote from the Gita, which gives me strength when I am grieving.

"[The soul] is never born nor does it die,
Nor once it is will it ever not be.
Unborn, unending, eternal, and ancient,
It is not killed when the body is killed."

I'm Off!

My mother and I are about to leave for Dulles, where we will catch a flight to Frankfurt and then on to Cairo! Once there, we will be met by a couple of my father's former students who will take us to another airport, from whence we will fly to Luxor. My father will take a train up from Asuit, and then the three of us are going to take a cruise down the Nile River. I'm so excited! Think good thoughts of me, my little chickadees.

Long Time No Sri

The eternal conundrum - when nothing is going on in my life I have plenty of time to blog, but when I've got things to blog about there's no time. Anyway.

Work has been more hellish than usual, but I probably shouldn't get into details here. Needless to say, I have decided to start exploring other options in earnest. I'm thinking that I eventually need to get out of Virginia - I love it here, but I want to broaden my horizons. And if I'm ever going to live somewhere else, now is the time of my life to do it. Onward and upward.

Speaking of getting out of this jerkwater 'burg, I'm headed to Egypt with my parents next week! Monster is staying behind for work. I've enlisted him to take care of my bunny while I'm gone. Instructions will include: "Gilda is super cute, but not super social. Do not confuse your desire to cuddle her with a desire on her part to be cuddled. Luckily, she hasn't bitten anyone ... in a while."

In local news, my friend MK is moving in with me! It will be nice to have a roommate, so I'm not just talking to Gilda all night. Plus, she reads this blog (a sure sign of good character). The extra income in the form of rent is nothing to sneeze at, either. The major benefit for me, though, is the incentive to keep my house clean. Left to my own devices, I will quickly allow my living space to degenerate to the level between "pigsty" and "toxic waste dump." It's not that I don't like a clean house - I love it! I just hate to actually clean. But when there's someone around to judge help, it gets much easier.

Finally, I got a new computer! My faithful Gateway, Millicent, finally kicked the bucket. I blame myself, and the universal AC adapter I bought her (when the original started to spark and smoke). More about Millicent's demise and my new MacBook, Babs, in my next post.