Bullets of Back-ness!

• I have returned! I am avoiding many things, including a) laundry, b) the job market, and c) the dissertation chapter (oh, hello Inaweirdmo challenge! I should be on page, what, 10 of my chapter now? Hahaha, that's not happening right now! Seriously, tomorrow we'll talk, chap, but today is for recovery.)

• So, I have been everywhere! Went over here and then over there and then further over that way; I met with a bunch of old friends and then some new friends and even met some blogger-people and then had a snafu and much drama and then hung out with family members. I also got lost in a) Pasadena, b) Huntington Beach, and c) some random rural part --- the 126? --- of the LA basin that I thought would help me circumvent traffic. Let me tell you that I hate driving in SoCal! Getting lost in the suburban-grid-system- of-stultifying-uniformity is one annoyance, but the parts of LA where 40 zillion highways all cross each other and change their names constantly while scary traffic attempts to kill you brings about new levels of fear and rage. Ick.
  

• I can't believe no one took bets on how I would get into trouble; I would tell you about my drama but enough people have suggested to me ways in which I was at fault and not being very considerate so I will not impugn my own character here. Heh.

• I also think I need to go back on a diet as I spent most of that time eating and drinking various unhealthy things. (I raise a glass to anybody who bought me a meal or a pint.) But visiting family is all about getting as much free food from them as possible ---- I was this close to bringing them my laundry to do, too, like I was an undergrad. Actually, that would have been an excellent idea ---- why the hell didn't you do it, cog?

• Speaking of, my uncle looks --- old. It kinda struck me. You know, you don't usually see people getting older because it's so gradual, but sometimes when someone gets sick or stressed or grieving they suddenly look much older and more frail, and sometimes they bounce back and look better, and sometimes they just change. So, I'm hoping he gets better --- he can't breathe; it's his nose thing and the air quality and the fires and everything. They rootered him out and put in a "stent" so he can drain --- we went out to eat a lot anyways, though, even though he can't taste much right now.

• I also hung out with my cousins, which was cool, although they have jobs and seem so settled compared to me. We were fine after I snapped at them when they asked about the job market and if I would be done with the diss soon.

And so now, now I must get back to my dissertation chapter! Expect much angst and whining, people. Except for when I head off to celebrate my birthday, which is soon, unless it's now, unless it already recently happened --- I just take the whole month of November and force people to buy me dinners and drinks the whole month long, with multiple parties in multiple places --- and I will do the same when I go up to see the rest of my family at Thanksgiving. Like a medieval prince on progress, I am. Or perhaps a swarm of locusts. Mmm, locusts!