Homestretch

Everybody goes back to school this morning except me and Squish. Not to sound like too much of a curmudgeon, but it really is 'the most wonderful time/of the year!'

Seriously, I look forward to this week. There are no obligations (okay--we've got an orthodontist appointment at 4:15--I forgot about that.) There are no Christmas parties (took the tree down yesterday-- or, rather, Mate and the kids did.) And there is no work. (Have I mentioned I've been in editing hell? I've got less than 100 pages to go, but, dammit, I NEED TO BE FINISHED SO I CAN PUBLISH RAMPANT.) Anyway, all that aside, this is one of the most pleasant weeks of my year-- it's usually peaceful, and Squish and I get lots of couch time. I can feel my batteries re-charging now!

In celebration, we took the short people out yesterday to see Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakel-- and this alone should be a reason for those of you without kids at home to give thanks. The whole movie would have REALLY sucked, if not for two things. One: there was perhaps THE world's funniest fart joke involving a small rodent and the term 'Dutch Oven', and watching Mate come unglued at that part was worth the price of admission. Two: Watching Squish jump up and down and dance in her seat with every song. She knew the words to all the pop-songs, too, and since we're mostly a rock & alt-rock scene here at the Lane household, she must have gotten those from daycare. Yet one more reason to grace the lovely daycare people with handknits (my last project, actually) for a belated Christmas gift.

My nice neighbor was over last night, finishing a hat she's making for her husband. This has been something of a personal triumph for the both of us--she was having one HELL of a time working circular needles. At one point--less than 24 hours before it was due, actually--I traded projects with her. I have her a gray hat in heavy worsted yarn and took her gray hat in DK yarn, thinking that the bigger yarn might help her 'see' the stitches better. Nothing worked (although I did finish my gray hat before Christmas--am still awaiting my medal in the mail. Alas, it seems not to be coming.) Finally I took a black sharpie to a nice set of bamboo needles and marked the right needle so she would stop turning them around, and it worked. Sometimes, the simplest solutions, you know?

As for my Letter to the Ether-- thank you all for such an overwhelming response. I'd pretty much sworn off responding to reviews at all--I'm getting to a place where it's not a good idea for all sorts of reasons, you know? In this case, I didn't feel that I was responding so much to the review (*shrug* Can't really review a thing you destroy before using, right? It's like reviewing a toaster you shove in the bathtub with your cat. Not the intended use for either object, so you're sort of screwed if you try to sue either toaster maker OR cat maker. All bad.) I felt more that I was responding to the destruction, and it's nice to see that there are a whole lot of people who think that destroying a book is a pretty awful thing. (Gives ME hope, anyway!)

Anyway, its early Monday morning, and I need to go get Zoomboy-- if he doesn't get his cuddles before school, he's an unhappy Zoomboy, and my having the day off doesn't seem to figure into his plans at all.

Happy Monday, everyone! (And don't hate on the extra week off-- my district took furlough days this year, so I get a week off at the beginning of June too-- and the requisite tiny paycheck as well. *sigh* It's a good thing If I Must is doing well--I may have to use the proceeds to pay something vital, like power or water--in March.)