I am exhausted. My class is exhausting me, but, surprisingly, having three children isn't exhausting me. Much. I mean, looking at the dishes in the sink makes me tired, but I'm going to fix that today by going to buy paper plates and bowls and plastic spoons. Oh yes I am. That will bring me joy, even if the environment may hate me a little bit. That reminds me: I should totally call my property manager about getting my dishwasher.

Oh, yes, my class is exhausting. I mentioned before that I didn't design the syllabus, but I don't necessarily like the way the syllabus is laid out. And my students are CONFUSED by it. Every day, it's a chorus of "I'm lost"s. And this is not the normal kind of minimal confusion but a big heaping helping of "I just don't get it."

Today was fun, though, because I showed them why I'm so adamant about them following directions and we talked about who's got the bigger wand (scroll down the page to the individual poster of Ron). And the latter totally fit their upcoming assignment! Good times.

Anyway, I need to go do the dishes, make dinner, go to the bank, and then go to the store. And TNT says she's coming to visit this weekend, so I'll have a house completely full, which will be fun. And we're going to the BEACH which will be extra fun on top of that. Yay, I'm excited for this weekend. Even if I do have to grade.

Oh, and may I talk about TV for a minute?

We finished The Cosby Show finally and Nai is a little sad. And so am I, honestly. Eight seasons and even though there were a few missteps, it was still pretty solid the whole way through. Olivia does become more unbearable during the beginning of the eighth season, but even that mellowed out some. And Cousin Pam mostly backgrounds it after The Great Sex Talk, which still infuriates me. Other than that, though, good times with Kenny and Stanley's rivalry and Theo graduating from college and Clair getting her own room. Also, I still love Lance and Charmaine, so that's a win. (True story: I almost cried during the finale. I didn't care for it much the first time I saw it, but subsequent viewings really showcase the best of the Huxtables and it is such a fitting and perfect ending.)

And then there is season one of Bones, which I really like! I think the great thing about the show is that the leads are so evenly matched and both fantastic in their own ways. I mean, yes, I am in love with Seeley Booth. This has not changed. But I really do like Brennan a lot. I also like that they both have these completely dark and painful pasts but neither of them are emo about it. That doesn't mean they don't get sad or upset, but it's not Logan Echolls or Meredith Grey levels. So amazing. And I can get shippy about them without feeling like dying inside because the fact that they're into each other has been building slowly, but it also makes perfect sense that neither of them would act on it. (At least so far.) And I do love all of the supporting characters, even Hodgins. And then season one ended on a doozy of a cliffhanger with a great mystery for the next season, so I'm looking forward to starting that while I wash the dishes today.

Next up for Nai is Fresh Prince. Next up for me is more Bones. Yay TV!

And here it is practically mid-July! That's just crazy talk. So, books:

June:
What Now? by Ann Patchett: A graduation speech she gave at Sarah Lawrence. I included some pretty ace quotes from the book in my last book entry yonder. Overall, I liked it. Very inspirational, but I was in that kind of mood.

Being Nikki by Meg Cabot: Second in a trilogy that read like the second in a trilogy. I enjoyed it, but it was clearly just setting stuff up for the next book, and while it was a good ride, I'm ready for the conclusion now.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom: One of my students did this book for her presentation, which is why I read it. It's a sweet book, but it took me forever to read. I have no idea why. Anyway, I think I like the ideas the book presented (you don't know just what your life means to someone) more than the actual book itself. Still, some quotes:

Had he known his death was imminent, he might have gone somewhere else. Instead, he did what we all do. He went about his dull routine as if all the days in the world were still to come.

All parents damage their children. It cannot be helped. Youth, like pristine glass, absorbs the prints of its handlers. Some parents smudge, others crack, a few shatter childhoods completely into jagged little pieces, beyond repair.

Holding anger is a poison. It eats you from inside. We think that hating is a weapon that attacks the person who harmed us. But hatred is a curved blade. And the harm we do, we do to ourselves.

It is never hard to act ordinary if you feel ordinary…

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan: Nai loves, loves, LOVES this series, so I told her I would read it if she read Harry Potter (see below for how that worked out). I thought the book was okay, but I see why she loves it. She's big into mythology right now, and this is, honestly, like HP for mythology lovers. (Someone ran down just how many plot points the series has in common with HP, but I'm not going to get into that. Needless to say: it's a lot.) (However, the books are just different enough so you don't feel like you're just reading a knockoff.) (Plus, I'm not sure how much is just a caveat of the genre.) I'm not sure if I'll be reading the next book yet, but it's not completely implausible that I won't.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone as read by Jim Dale (audiobook): My first audiobook ever! I think I mentioned that Nai doesn't like reading HP (the books give her a headache; she likes the movies), but she loves listening to them, so we finished up this one and are working on the next one. We're going to take a break to listen to a book of her choice, so that should be interesting.


July:
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen: I liked this a lot (way more than Lock & Key). It felt like nothing really happened in the book (especially the beginning), but also like a lot really happened. I dunno. I liked it, though. (LEAST HELPFUL REVIEW EVER.) Oh wait. I thought there were a few too many characters. I honestly couldn't tell the guys apart and there was just one female friend too many for it to be effective (for me). Other than that, though, I loved the focus on friendship (of course) and thought the romance was well-handled as well as the subplot with the grown-ups. So that's that.

And that's it! I am currently reading another book and almost finished that and the next HP. I am so bored in the car these days that I think I'm going to get a "when Nai isn't in the car" audiobook so that I'm not annoyed by the radio as much as I am. I'm totally turning into an old woman. I used to not be able to fathom no music; now I find myself trying to find talk radio or just shutting the radio off. Yeah, I don't even know. TALK RADIO. And I even listened to CLASSICAL today. So yeah. Audiobooks it is. Sigh.

I was talking to my friend, and her parents have to sell one of their old cars. She really, really wants the car and offered to pay for it.

Me: Have you heard anything from your folks about the car yet?
Her: No. I think they want to make sure I'm not with [toxic ex-boyfriend that she keeps getting back together with].
Me: Ah.

WHAT I WANTED TO SAY: "Well, I guess you won't be getting that car then."

Seriously, it is so hard for me to bite my tongue sometimes. But I have learned to manage. Also, file that comment under Not Helpful, yes?

Anyway. That's what was on my mind this morning.

ETA: To be clear, not because I don't think they'll stay broken up, but just that her parents would have a hard time believing it.

So, I have turned into one of those people. You know, the kind who is too busy to post. I know! I'm ashamed of me too.

Basically, since I have been getting up at 6 a.m every day and still have poor time management skills, by the time night rolls around I'm preparing for my next day of class. It's so bad.

The good news is that I fixed the syllabus the program gave me to make more sense (why would you teach summary after your students are required to write one?), so that should save me at least 30-45 minutes per night trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do the next day. Here's a helpful hint: even if you are handed a syllabus, you cannot actually teach said syllabus blind. You will always have to revise it or prepare for the class in some way.

The bad news is that I still haven't constructed my syllabus for the fall. And I have a meeting about that on Tuesday. Um, oops?

Also, Nai's little cousins are coming for two and a half weeks starting this Tuesday. We have cleaned the house (okay, Nai's room), but I just realized that their flight gets in at 7:30 p.m. Which is fine! Except for the part where I thought they got in at 8 p.m. Which means that I'm going to have to reschedule Nai's voice lesson because getting to the airport at 7 and having to go through security to meet children by 7:30 isn't really the smartest move. Even if it is Jacksonville Airport, which rarely has a serious line. That's just cutting it too close.

I have been totally fat girl-ing it for the past couple of weeks. But now that the holidays are over, I think it's time to start going back to the gym and stop eating everything in sight. And probably stop having ice cream for dinner. I think I've gained about 5-7 pounds, and I'm, you know, supposed to be maintaining. Not gaining.

Yesterday, I had GRILLED RIBS and they were AMAZING. Mmmmm. I love the 4th. Also, the kids blew some stuff up. God bless America. Happy day after the 4th, everybody!

Lame, but true.

I am back! And wide awake. Ah, time zone changes. What's funny is that just as my internal clock adjusted to Pacific Time, it was time to come back to the East Coast. And today I napped for three hours and now I can't sleep. (I actually could have slept longer, but I had to pee and it was hot. But I digress. Especially because nobody cares about those things.) Hilarious. Especially since I need to get up at 6! HAHAHA. Sigh.

Where to begin? I went to California. It was great. I made some friends at summer camp. I went to stay with Jasmine. We ate. A lot. And then it was time to come home.

Some highlights:

-- Nai's camp was a lot of fun. There were quite a bit of parents there from the South, and even a pair from D.C. I learned a lot and came away with some information that I needed and some I probably didn't. The most important thing I learned is that casting directors are all looking for something different. You heard it here first. (Aside: Nai loved the camp and totally wants to go back next year.)

-- My mom got released from the hospital while I was in CA. She is staying near the hospital for the next three or so weeks because she has to go in weekly for observation/testing, but she is doing well. Her appetite is back with a vengeance, for example. She and my dad have been resting a lot. Thank you again for all of your prayers and well wishes. Please continue to think positively/pray for her continued strength and healing. (On a lighter note, I sent her a link to this comic right after it was first published. I told her to print it out and put it above her desk at the time. Now, I told her she should frame it.)

-- I met thatames and we talked about books and she gave me a tour and it was delightful!

-- Which reminds me. On our last day, Nai and I went to Sprinkles, and I turned on the "avoid highways" function on the GPS and I got to see quite a bit more of Los Angeles, and we rode down Rodeo Drive. I also went to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles that day. Mmm, chicken and waffles. Also, we went to The Grove and went to the movies, and it was a wonderful way to waste six hours, seriously. We had soooo much time to kill before our plane left. (We saw Transformers 2 and The Proposal, btw.)

-- Oh, I hated my first rental car a lot. It was a Chevy HHR, and besides being ugly, it drove really stupid. I much preferred the Cobalt I got the second time.

-- Jasmine has the cutest little apartment in the cutest little neighborhood ever. Also, she lives walking distance from lots of really cute little shops (and big ones, like the grocery store), too. Plus also, we made lavender and honey ice cream for my birthday, and she baked me a cake. Oh, and I went to yoga AND it made me sore (lots of strength training). And I learned that I don't like that busy yoga; I like my yoga relaxing and sloooow. And I witnessed people doing the bird of paradise yoga pose, which I had never even heard of before. Wacky. Also, we ate a lot, including dim sum, which I had never had before and South Indian food (with auroura76!), which I had also never had before.

-- Michael Jackson died. You may have heard about that. (Also, obviously, I will do a longer post about it.)

-- We watched So You Think You Can Dance and Top Chef Masters, and I have now incorporated "I will beat them...with my quesadilla" into my life. (It's best said in a French accent.)

-- I came home to a clean carpet and an unclogged tub, and that made me happy!

I think I covered everything except how Jasmine totally punked out on picking some lavender up in front of Whole Foods, but, really, I think you had to be there to appreciate the story.

Hopefully, I can get some sleep now. And next time I will talk a little bit about my trip to Charlotte, which I didn't have time to post about at all before I had to turn around and leave for California. But. Next time.

Dude. Dorothy Zbornak from Golden Girls. I am pretty sure I have talked about this at length before, but. She is totally me. She's perpetually single (even if she does get married in the end), smart, sarcastic, an English teacher, a mama's girl, a little bit lonely, the voice of reason, etc. It is kind of uncanny that my greatest fictional representation is an old white woman. Besides her being old and white, we are practically the same person. Seriously!

Got back last night. There's a lot to talk about, but first the most important thing.

On Saturday morning at approximately 2:30 a.m., I got a call from the hospital my mom has been at the past week or so.

"She's fine," assured the woman on the phone. "Did you know your mom was approved as a donor earlier today?"

I was half out of it, of course, so I yes-no-ed at her. My mom told me she would find out if she was approved or not, but hadn't told me either way what they said.

"Well," said the woman, "she was. And a liver came in for her. It usually doesn't happen that fast at all, but she has one. We have to do some tests and determine if it's viable, but your dad insisted I call you and let you know what's going on, and your mom said for us to call you, too, because if everything matches up with the liver, she'll be going into surgery in a few hours."

I hung up after a bit of "thanks for telling me" and "oh wow"-ing, and then my mom called me about ten-fifteen minutes later to say hi and hear my voice.

I talked to my dad on Saturday night around 8 p.m., and he said that the surgery went well.

I talked to my mom yesterday, and she sounded good. I asked my dad to call later on this evening so Nai can get a chance to talk to her.

She's doing well.

That's all I know right now. She'll have to do dialysis for a few days to make sure her kidneys don't get infected, but my dad says he doesn't know how long she'll be in the hospital. I think she told me before that post-transplant requires a four to eight-week hospital stay, but don't hold me to that.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and good thoughts. Please continue to pray/think positively for her strength and healing. When I know more, I'll make sure to update.

So I leave for my conference tomorrow, and I am not actually as prepared as I need to be. For one thing, I haven't edited/proofread my paper to make sure I can read it out loud okay (Kady said the organization is tight except for two tiny awkward places, so whoo for that). For another thing...well, that's the main thing. I've set my GPS, bought a new camera (have to get an SD card because my XD card doesn't fit in the camera--SO INFURIATING), Nai is packed, and I have my list of things to pack. But, of course, there is still stuff to do like Nai's hair and buying the SD car and actually packing. I also want to go to yoga tomorrow, but I don't know if that's going to happen. Except it should.

I also just realized that because we're leaving at 4 tomorrow afternoon, I'm going to miss SYTYCD. Obvs, it will be TiVo-ed, but you know. It's the principle of the thing.

Ugh, I have Very Important LJ posts to make and no time to make them. Also, I felt crappy all day today and now my nose is stuffed up, but I know it's not a cold. And I don't have seasonal allergies in the sense that I have allergies, but I know it's a reaction to something. It's all very frustrating.

1. I am in a place with my LJ. I changed my layout last night and plan to delete and re-upload all of my icons. I don't even know.

2. Hey, so! My conference is this week! I sent Kady a draft of my paper so she can check it for organization because I can tell it's kind of falling apart in the middle there. Can I confide something to you, oh readers? I do not like writing papers at all. In fact, I am a B writer when it comes to papers, in general. I have gotten better since starting my PhD program, so I'd put myself at about a B+ now, which is a vast improvement. That said, teaching writing has made me a better, more organized writer. But I still have a ways to go.

3. In two weeks, I'll be in California, and in three weeks, I'll be 30! That is crazysauce.

4. Also, am I supposed to be apprehensive about turning 30 or something? Because I have gotten lots of "ohhhh"s when say that I'm turning 30 as though this is something to be dreaded. I am actually kind of excited! I usually don't get all het up about my birthday, preferring to keep it all very low-key (which is why the actual date is not listed on Facebook or LJ; this is a place where Nai and I differ because she is all about her birthday), but I am going to be in California! Turning 30! I think it's kind of cool. Also: milestone.

5. My digital camera is dead, dead, dead, dead. And before my trip. That is very uncool. So now I need to decide if I'm going to buy a new one before the trip or just invest in a couple of disposal cameras until I get back and actually, you know, have money to buy a digital one. Then again, it's not like I really have the money to buy those either, so I might as well make the investment, I guess. Ugh. Now I need to figure out what kind of camera to buy.

6. Nai had her voice recital today and she did a bang-up job. I gave her a MUCH better frohawk this time, and it looked fantastic amazing.

7. I have put off posting for a while because I have been pretty angry at what's going on in the world and especially with how the media is covering...everything, basically. I had to mute GMA twice this week, and it's very ugh making. I just don't even feel like ranting which makes me angry because I feel like I should rant because of the rage. So, in short: Dr. Tiller was not an abortion doctor--he was an ob/gyn; I am tired of hearing how what Judge Sotomayor said is SO OUTRAGEOUS OMG. Look. Women have been conditioned to think more compassionately blah blah blah than men. Everything in our society says it is so. And the ONLY REASON what she has said is an issue is because she said it's better than thinking "like a man." So this is just typical "let us now punish you for exposing how cultural hegemony works and also punish you for daring to say you are somehow better than us for buying into everything we have ever fed you" (ho ho ho, except it's not supposed to be "better" is it. PWNED, WHITEY). Anyway, to dissipate that rage, I just remind myself that this is all they have. THIS IS ALL THEY CAN FIND TO USE AGAINST HER. I just wish the stupid media wouldn't cover this so stupidly. Which, actually, is always my complaint, but I have just found it extraordinarily obnoxious these past couple of weeks. Probably because it's on top of all of the stupid, stupid, STUPID Jon & Kate stuff that I care ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT but that keeps getting attention and they keep talking about it, and I promise you that I DO NOT CARE ABOUT THESE PEOPLE and ALSO I DO NOT CARE SOME MORE. And then there is all of the sad stuff on top of that, and I am just wanting the news to go away.

8. Huh, I feel better now. Go figure.

9. My tub was clogged, like, all day today and now it is empty of water but gross. I am not looking forward to cleaning it all that much, but I'll have to so I can shower.

10. I thought I had a lead on selling Nai's bed, but, alas, I do not.

11. Hey, so I should probably work on my dissertation at some point.

12. Oh. Shoes! So, after my last couple of posts about how my new shoes wouldn't work, I did some research and lots of talking with postcardjunkie about types of shoes to buy and left the house for Macy's and Dillard's with a list of shoe brands to buy and HAHAHAHAHA living in a small town. I just. It's my fault really for expecting the Macy's and Dillard's around here to have an actual selection, right? I think it's because the last time I was in Macy's was over Christmas when I went to Annapolis Mall and their shoe department is the size of, say, the misses section here. Yeah, so there were no shoes and the ones they did have were not in my size. FUN. Anyway, I wound up going to Famous Footwear where they did have Naturalizer shoes at least and bought these. Obviously, they are not as fly as I would like for them to be, but they actually do not look horrible with my dresses and--more importantly--when I put them on, it was like walking on a cushion. (I don't remember if Nora said that or one of the commenters on a different site, but it was totally true!) I need to wear them around the house a bit more, but I could seriously tell the difference in the shoe as soon as I put it on. So hopefully, they will work!

13. Wow, it's been a long time since I've actually hit 13. Hmm, let me see. Oh, I know. So I just finished disc three of Bones (still in season one), and can I just say that I am completely in love with Booth? I love him! Actually, I really like all of the characters a lot. Hodgins is probably my least favorite at the moment, and I don't hate him or anything but would just rank him at the bottom of my list. Also, I...kind of see why my friend said I remind her of Brennan. I am not sure I entirely agree just yet? But I'm starting to see it. That is all.

( Vegas week! )

Next week is performance time! I am excited! And really wish this show aired on Tuesday and Wednesday, even though I understand why it doesn't. Yay, dancing!

"As quickly as you think that everything is set, it all becomes unglued again. A huge part of this is simply luck, the element of life both good and bad that is beyond your control. [...] Even if you have it all together you can't know where you're going to end up. There are too many forces, as deep and invisible as tides, that keep us bouncing into places where we never thought we'd wind up. Sometimes the best we can hope for is to be graceful and brave in the face of all of the changes that will surely come. "

"But you have to be willing to accept not what you wanted to have happen, but what happens. You have to write the story you find in the circumstances you've created."

"Just because things hadn't gone the way I had planned didn't necessarily mean they had gone wrong."

--What Now? by Ann Patchett

If cancer had a face, I would punch it RIGHT IN THE FACE.

I HATE CANCER.

Stupid cancer is stupid and I hate it.

I am very frustrated this morning. I went to the gym to do yoga and the treadmill. During yoga, I realized my ankle was bothering me. And not just bothering me a little, but a lot. And then I realized it was because I wore my new shoes last night for, like, half an hour. I WAS SITTING MOST OF THE TIME WHILE WEARING THEM. So, of course, I couldn't get on the dumb treadmill. Now I just don't know what to do. Because obviously when I'm at the conference, I will be walking around quite a bit, and I don't want to spend three days with an aching ankle. That will kind of suck a lot. Also, there is nothing I can do short of wearing my Birks the entire weekend (and, hello, they do not match my outfits at all. I can maybe slide by with them on the day I wear pants), and it's not because of the height of the heel or anything because I have the same problem when I wear my loafers. It is just because I have an old lady ankle that only likes hippie shoes. Which would be fine if I were going to be doing some hippie-type stuff! But I am not! I am going to a major conference in my stupid field. I just want to punch the wall right now.

1. Hey, so it's June aka the Busiest Month Ever. This is what my schedule looks like for June, just so you have an idea:

Nai's voice recital
Children's Lit conference
Trip to California
30th birthday
Start teaching
Nai's little cousins come to visit

Plus all of the preparations all of these things entail. It is kind of insane!

2. Speaking of California, I am pretty set on things to do in Los Angeles, but I need recommendations for things to check out in San Francisco.

3. Mom update: She is being transferred to UPenn tomorrow. This is good news! She was supposed to go there next week for transplant screening stuff, but they are sending her early because that is where the super specialists are, and they can screen her early and figure out what needs to be done about all of her other issues, etc. So. She is pleased with this turn of events.

4. I had tried everything short of bribery to get Nai to read Harry Potter (she is on a fantasy kick, but refused to read HP), and what finally did it is listening to the audiobook of the first one in the car. Amazing.

5. Yeah, so May. I have read some books:

The Fold by An Na: Oh, I hated this book. First off, the main character is so ANNOYING. Besides not understanding WHY she's the main character, she is just annoying for no reason! And no one ever calls her on being annoying. And every time I thought I was going to understand why she's so annoying, it just never worked narratively. I think it's because her sister is the pretty and smart one, but then it turns out that she's smart too. PLUS ALSO, I thought the theme of the book was completely muddled, and at the end, I had no idea what I was supposed to think. Basically, it's all about plastic surgery and how everyone is enhanced in some way--be it Accutane or a boob job or the fold surgery--but there seemed to be no discernment between these procedures or courses of treatment. It was just awful. Did I mention the main character is annoying? Completely unsympathetic, totally a shrill harpy, and just not good. NOT GOOD AT ALL. I only finished the book because I was about 30 pages from the end when I realized that the book was annoying me. Yeah, I don't even know.

This Full House by Virginia Euwer Wolff: I have been waiting for this book forever. It's the third in the Make Lemonade trilogy, and the first book (um, Make Lemonade) is awesome. This book was a good end to the trilogy, albeit a little soap operatic, but I liked the ideas it introduced. I liked it a little less than I could have because the main character is a science geek and there's just a bit too much detailed scientific information that I just do not care about at all and felt could have been condensed so we got the gist of it without the details. However, it works on a character level, and I recognized that, so it's just a taste thing. The book is good, not great, but I probably should read all three of the books together to see how well it fits.

It's a Mall World After All by Janette Rallison: I read this book because I was pleasantly surprised by her other one. I liked this as well. The only thing I don't like is the title because it doesn't really seem to fit the story. But that's a minor complaint.

6. We went to the pool on Saturday AND Sunday and as a result I was exhausted today. I seriously slept most of the day and now, of course, am wide awake. Typical. Tomorrow, though, I am back on track. I need to get earrings for the conference and toss the cardigan back and possibly get those little footie things for my shoes. Or just go sockless? I don't know. I'm trying to break the shoes in now.

Do my shoes make noise when I walk because they're cheap? And will anyone else notice?

7. Oh, and after the wardrobe stuff is taken care of, I should probably work on my presentation. That would be good. Also smart. You know, since that's the whole reason I'm going.

8. My house is a mess. Someone come declutter for me!

9. I have nothing else. Lame.

jasminelily has posted a brilliant rant about the Michael Vick b.s., and I feel everybody ever should read it.

That's all for now. More later.

Okay, EVEN THOUGH I have still been learning something new every day, I haven't been posting about it or keeping up with it. I know. This is why I would fail at a "real" blog. But today, I learned two things and I guess I just want to know if other people knew about them, too.

Item #1: Thai massage.

I went to afternoon yoga today (note: even though the instructor is kind of hippie weird, I like her class a lot, and she's grown on me, so I've been kind of planning to do yoga on Friday afternoons so I can go to her at least once a week), and the instructor came in and asked if the class missed her. Apparently, she missed class last week (obvs, I wasn't there) because she went to Cambridge for a seminar or something and got a Thai massage. And then she demonstrated it for us on two of the women in the class. And now? I WANT ONE. Clearly.

Item #2: Citrus canker.

You cannot send oranges outside of Florida because of the threat of citrus canker! There was a big sign in the post office. I had never heard of that before today, nor the whole no sending oranges thing. Only licensed FDA approved boxes of oranges can be shipped or something. Crazy!

They figured out why the fluid keeps going up into my mom's chest: she has a defect in her diaphragm. She also talked to two doctors about what's going on with her fluid and what all else she's up to. Basically, right now, they're not going to do anything until she's putting out approximately 200cc of fluid. She can't leave the hospital or come off the chest tube or anything until her fluid levels come down.

Right now, she's putting out over 1600cc per day. She keeps emphasizing the over part. So it's a super lot, obviously. PER DAY. That is insane.

So she was basically like, "You know where I'll be."

She's in good spirits, though. She sounds fantastic--more like herself than she has in a long time--except, you know, she has a tube in her chest and she can't get out of the bed. But she said she's just going to take the time to read and rest and figure out how to get well.

Every time we talk about me going home by next summer, she perks up, so that's good to know. My life as an ABC drama, you guys.

In other news, I freaking love Lil C. And where are all the SYTYCD icons, hmm? Because I am pretty sure I need one of Lil C. That is all.

So postcardjunkie did this over in her LJ, and I am too nosy/curious not to follow suit. Plus, Nora is in the midst of composing some thoughts on the nature of social media and this just might help her craft an argument. I think. So please answer the poll. Anyway, if you don't have an LJ, feel free to comment with your answers.

Poll #1406706 taking stock
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

How often do you read this blog/journal?

How do you read this blog, when you read it?

The privacy level of this blog/journal:

Is this more properly referred to as:

What kind of entries would you like to see more of?

What kind of posts would you like to see less of?

What's your favorite season?

And now I'm going to take a nap. Because I've been sneezing all day and it has given me a headache.