Been a real up-and-down week. Ups included working super-hard on Judge Lemkau's campaign, getting both Web sites up in three days (that's one day ahead of schedule, too). Downs included being able to rely on my best friend I'm not married to for a ridiculous request across about 37 time zones and then having the request be bogus, watching an awful lot of cable-access TV live from Big Bear, CA, and missing my buddy Kyle, thinking of all the fun he could be having with this (not that death has stopped him — looks like the campaign is receiving a contribution from a carpenters' union, the head of which is named my maiden name). Another down was spending two hours in the dentist chair after not visiting the dentist in nearly two years, but the ups of that were 1) only one tiny cavity and 2) my Oral-B Vitality toothbrush with the extra-soft head seems to have improved my gum strength. Today the boys and Monstro and my Mom and I piled in what we're still calling the “new car” a year-and-a-half after purchase, got our belated farmshare box, and then had the best Mexican in the Phoebe Price bullying-case area.

And I'm pretty sure y'all have already seen that Lord Jesus Christ was hit by a car in a crosswalk in my town yesterday. He must have come in from out-of-town; in Northampton, only the tourists don't know not to jaywalk.

So it's Monday, and it's May, and instead of thunderstorming for 10 hours as expected the sky just poured forth for 10 seconds and then, fini. I'm just back from giving a final. It's almost been exactly one week since Kyle's mom called us to tell us he'd died. Miss you, buddy. The interesting thing is, Kyle being Kyle, he left me a final request on my voicemail. So I've been keeping pretty busy doing that and I think this work is pretty much going to benefit the whole world. It doesn't surprise me; Kyle was like that. He gave me my orange ukulele, too, which was autographed by Jake Shimabukuro on my fifth wedding anniversary. Love you, man.

Today was HOT for May first. I'm pretty sure while BK and I were on our run that quickly turned into a walk, it was 90 degrees on the bike path. We got to the herbalist's, found out she won't have any homemade pure castile soap for three weeks, and then we trudged home. At least BK got a cookie and half a cup of water rubbed into his hair. I also swam half a mile while Lex had his last swim lesson for this session — and that's half a mile *without* pushing off from any of the walls in any way, to simulate a more open-water feel.

I wouldn't say I'm anywhere near having my size-fours fall off my butt (Fringes, you kill me), but it would be nice to shop in a regular store. I'll get there. Haven't been eating a whole lot this week (hi Kyle!) but it's OK, I'm being healthy. Is it wrong to admit that re-reading “The Best Little Girl in the World” kick-started my diet a little teensy bit? Yeah, nevermind.

I got the world's smallest rejection letter yesterday. It literally measured 1.5×3 inches. And if Monstro's initial review of my play mirrors what the Lab people are gonna say Wednesday, it'll a be a bloodbath. I'm going to try to cushion the blow by reading “My First Kiss” as a monologue (and also, one of my readers says the play is “very funny”). Pray for me, nevertheless.

There's a happyheart picture story in the Washington Post today. Thanks Sarah for the tip (and happy bloggiversary — nice that we share the same month).

Lex read his first full sentence today. He was at Sunday School and the lesson was “Jesus said, 'follow me.'” And Lex read it.

Finished my taxes yesterday and e-filed — they hit the IRS at 2:43 this morning. Nice feeling, being productive whilst asleep!

It is fun to post drunk on one's blog. Whoo! Go Em, go Monstro! Mogen David-bound!

Hi, I'm Motormouth's blog, it's my 15th birthday this month — that's birthday *years* to you, not weeks — and by the time Motormouth was my age she wasn't a virgin, so I have the right to be a little tipsy all over the Internet, thanks so much.
Motormouth sang Mogen David today — her family? yeah, they have a SONG, ask anyone — and it sounded damn good. Felt good, too. (That's what she tells me, anyway.)
Motormouth could not convey a greater happiness at the fact that she would buy her best friend Sean's family's Destiny Bay Vineyards wine for its $120 price at a moment's notice of the flea's lightning-fast consciousness; the wine provided a smooth, happy social lubrication not seen since my last true bottle of Bordeaux was opened on the eve of, it's painful to recall, Sean's departure to OZ.
Likewise, Motormouth might have something very truly exciting and different going on next week, which is, per se, more than a bit thrilling.
Additionally, Motormouth continues to be brilliant for her clients in record time. How delightful for us all.

Our best friend Emily, of best-friends-Emily-and-Nicki fame, passed her dissertation defense today. I opened the $120 bottle of Destiny Bay Mystae (2005– frickin' YUMMY) and one of two remaining bottles from our wedding reception, a Gloria Ferrer blanc de noirs sparkling wine. Hello, major drinks before a non-existant dinner. I mean, there were some hors d'eourves, but I didn't have lunch and as notetaker at Emily's defense, didn't get a full bag of the delicious Atkins-farms appetizers. You would not have believed the good tastingness of the butterscotch cookies. Mmmm…

Anyway, Nick and Em and Mary beat it as soon as I put Lex to bed, which was a pity, because I wanted to sing “Mogen David,” which is really called “In the Midnight Choir” by the Gatlin Brothers and is the song that my family sings to commemorate a singular or drunken evening (this was both).

Instead, I called Emily and had her put me on speaker. So, now Nick and Em know the chorus, though I've not heard them sing it. They have been warned that it will be sung again one month and a day from now at a certain luncheon we shall all be attending.

Gonna need a designated driver for that one, I think…