Both my exes have birthdays in the next few days — the second’s is tomorrow and the first’s is the day after. Then there’s winglion. Her birthday is the 29th, I’m told; and I hear she would appreciate some good wishes.
As you can see by Itzl's concerned look, this group is for us to check in at to let people know we are alive, doing OK, and not affected by such things as heat, blizzards, floods, wild fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, or other such things that could keep us off DKos. It's also so we can find other Kossacks nearby for in-person checks when other methods of communication fail - a buddy system. Members come here to check in. If you're not here, or anywhere else on DKos, and there are adverse conditions in your area (floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, etc.), we and your buddy are going to check up on you. If you are going to be away from your computer for a day or a week, let us know here. We care!
IAN is a great group to join, and a good place to learn to write diaries. Drop one of us a PM to be added to the Itzl Alert Network anytime! We all share the publishing duties, and we welcome everyone who reads IAN to write diaries for the group! Every member is an editor, so anyone can take a turn when they have something to say, photos and music to share, a cause to promote or news!
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An amazingly intact Roman mausoleum has been uncovered in the Southwark borough of London. There are no coffins; but some serious grave goods — and a couple of mosaics that prove the floor was raised at least once.
Do warmer temperatures make turtles better mothers?
An allegedly extinct earless dragon lizard has been spotted for the first time in 50 years.
The Great American Road Trip done as a maze. Have fun.
There’s a palm in Borneo that flowers and fruits underground.
Barbie’s Dream House in each of the 50 states. I’m not buying the one for Oregon.
The evolution of the American barbecue.
The oldest known book fragment.
They did take some liberties for the Dial of Destiny in the new Indiana Jones movie.
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This past week has been recovery from the one before. Also, trying to clear the phlegm from my throat — I got a piece of potato chip caught about halfway down, and have been coughing the results up for several days.
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I arrived in Chicago on Tuesday, July 11, to find it raining hard enough to wash the city away. I waited for ramara, but eventually decided my belly rumblings needed to be dealt with. Kitty O’Shea’s at the Chicago Hilton has the best onion rings I have had in years. I wasn’t done yet when ramara arrived, so she came down and joined me for dinner. Kitty O’Shea’s provides a fine bread pudding, as well.
There was no swag bag stuffing this year — there were only a few things besides the bag and t-shirts for those of us who ordered them.
Not everybody who rsvp’d for it actually got to the C&J dinner on Wednesday. A couple people had flights canceled out from under them and got to Chicago a day late, and others were stuck at the hotel due to not being able to use a taxi (scooter issues) and the nasty weather. We were interrupted by at least six tornado warnings while we were at the dinner. I found out that mik is a Facebook friend of my SF author college friend. We had a nice conversation about SF and horror writing, and I was able to pass along a compliment I knew he would value from mik to my college buddy.
Vicki and Arshad do fine trainings. I certainly enjoyed the one I attended.
I missed the first plenary session for getting stood up for the ride-share I’d arranged to an off-site event. A woman called my name while I was headed to Kitty O’Shea’s (the only stout they have is Guinness, of which I am not especially fond, but they have some fine local beers), and told me I looked a bit upset. So I told her what happened. She sent me to a particular corner at Kitty O’Shea’s and said to tell the woman who was there that she’d sent me. Nobody was there, but I was already feeling better just from the bit of kindness.
I seriously overdosed on fried food during the convention. It was all delicious, but it was also too much.
I attended only a couple of the sessions — but I did get to the second and third plenary sessions. Yes, I heard Justin Jones of the Tennessee Three talk (he definitely respects the woman who did not get the boot; she called it as it was when asked by a reporter why she wasn’t ejected, too — the color of her skin). And then the Rev. Jesse Jackson came out and gave a speech. The call and response was fun.
I actually got to sit and just be audience for the Pub Quiz — nobody tried to draft me into a team this year. I enjoyed myself; but I’m not sure anybody would believe it.
The Chicago Hilton has a FedEx office that is open all seven days, so I shipped my dirty laundry and laptop home in preference to hauling them on the plane. They arrived on Friday. After I got done at FedEx, I went back to the room and made sure everything was cleared away. Got back downstairs with the rest of my stuff to find out that check-out was automatic. I did have to ask at the front desk if the card I thought I had used was the one I actually had. It was.
I had breakfast at Kitty O’Shea’s weekend brunch. They make a very nice corned beef skillet. Norm Buchwald came in not long after I did and sat with me. We told the waiter when Norm ordered that we wanted separate checks, but we still had to send him back to do it right when we asked for them.
I left plenty of time for screw-ups at the airport, which was fortunate because the taxi driver dropped me at the wrong spot. I probably should not have mentioned I had asked for a wheelchair. At least things went smoothly at PDX. I wanted to be picked up at baggage claim, even though I had nothing to claim, to save my daughter some money. They’ve changed how things are done a little, and they have pick-up sites numbered. I was at #3.
Nothing else went wrong and I got home safely, if entirely pooped.
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The arbitration is done. Our mother has enough money to support her for as long as she needs (though my sister-in-law who used to be a physical therapist says she believes the doctors who have told her Mom might not even make Christmas this year — but Mom will be 92 in September, which is about the middle of the range for her family if accident or illness don’t kill them earlier).
Yes, I know that probably sounds cold to some of you. I am who I am. My parents couldn’t make me be somebody else, so don’t any of you try.
The stepsisters got the house.
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Love you guys!