Rant away, Mimi and X. I have a soapbox I carry with me (metaphorically speaking, anyway) for a long, grumpy speech about how schools emphasize verbal, seat skills over visual-spatial, movement skills that are valued just as much in society, and how it's a sin that active boys don't have the opportunity to see that their skills are really valuable, and how that attitude "creates" disabilities when there really aren't any....see what I mean? I'll stop now. It does, however, drive me crazy in my profession.

Knot, it'll be nice to get that app done before you go, only in the sense that it's a pain in the *** AND you'll have a much better time knowing most of it's behind you.

BMof3, the heating/plumbing/electrical work is supposed to be done this week and inspected. Then they can do insulation and dry wall. After that there's lots of bits and pieces left---putting in hard wood floors, building various shelves, installing all the bathroom stuff, etc. I am not sure when they'll finish because I think I will be killing the contractor first, possibly even this afternoon. Please consider visiting me in jail and maybe getting Snap's recipe for cinnamon buttons so you could bring me some if you're feeling kindly.

The contractor is coming over this afternoon to discuss the bill and the totally unexpected $15,000 overrun. We are expecting a call from an architect friend in Paris whom we've used as a sort of consultant on contractor stuff. Mr. Salsa leaves tomorrow for a 12-day boat trip (work) and I leave a week from today for another week in Albany to help my mother move to assisted living. We are still definitely in la vida loca territory. But after we went to the Bellevue Botanical Garden D'Lights show, we went to the local Ethiopian restaurant, which was great. We'll go for a tandem ride sometime today, although maybe only 30 miles. So things could be worse...

CC, congrats on the 12-hour! I'd be bonkers, I expect. How fun to finally see pics of you and Ian--now I know who I'm talking to when I babble about football and Lake Taupo.

Fine limerick, X. Team Addled. I think I'll add it to my profile with Mimi's permission.

Any future business I do with contractors will have to include a materials clause that provides steady valium. Or something like that. Or, maybe just the flamethrower. I may like the latter better, come to think of it.