Thank you, Michelle K, for the most excellent early birthday gift!

I started it last night and the book is lots of fun, I can see why it’s such a successful series.

::doing the loot dance::

This afternoon I had the opportunity to go catch up with Jim (the asshole) and Shawn (Beastly) at Stonekettle Station. I had a blast - I could have listened to the two of them tell stories all evening.

After my visit, I wanted dispel the rumor that Jim and Shawn are partners. You know, partners. Because even though they have lived together in the past, get up and spend every day, all day, together, work together constantly on projects, sell their wares together at the artsy-fartsy Wasilla Farmer’s Market, and even dress alike every day, I wanted to put this disclaimer out there on the Internet: they are not partners And the picture above should help prove that.

Does that help at all, guys?

Also, you should buy their hand-turned bowls as Christmas gifts, because they both do really spectacular work.

I’m going to take a page from Nathan and suggest an Internet group activity.

Have you read Eric’s excellent blog post today about the nutbar woman who is a “Puppy-Cloning International Sex Fugitive With Three-Legged Horse Wanted In Tennessee”? It’s a great post. Just don’t read it while you’re drinking any sort of beverage - you don’t want to snort liquid out your nose.

Both Janiece and I commented that we think that our lives just don’t rate that kind of drama. Really, though, we’re all interesting people, and we’re all creative types.

Here’s my proposal. I challenge each UCF type - or innocent bystander - to visit a couple of others - or everyone! - and write them interesting and dramatic headlines about their lives. They don’t have to be correct, based in fact, or even related to the post at hand. Be imaginative. Exaggerate. Suck up. Bait the search engines.

After all, don’t we all live extraordinary lives? So let’s immortalize that in print, at least with prose as deathless as electronic media can be.

Update: I’m having better luck writing short bio paragraphs than headlines. I’m just too wordy. So that’s what you’re getting from me. Whatever works!

First, I came home from work today to find LOOT! Although I didn’t find this out until nearly 10pm, because the finks who live at my home and raid my fridge didn’t tell me I’d gotten a package until then.

So I opened it and it was CHOCOLATE LOOT! Thank you very, very much, Michelle. It definitely helped with the stressful and decidedly down time I’ve been having lately.

Michelle sent me candy from BonBon Bar homemade chocolates — all organic, all handmade, no high-fructose corn syrup. Tonight I’m nibbling on a Single Malt Scotch Ganache & Chewy Caramel topped with Maldon Sea Salt bar… mmmm. I also have vanilla and passion fruit marshmallows (I gave the fink who retrieved the package a marshmallow), a caramel nut bar, a malt bar, and a dark chocolate orange bar.

It is wonderful stuff, thank you so much. I’m hiding the rest. I might even take it with me to Anchorage next week for hotel room snacking.

I really appreciate the thoughtfulness, Michelle, it definitely helps lift my spirits.

Second, the flowers in the picture are from my sweet and eternally patient husband, who brings me flowers even when I’m the one who’s being crabby. They improved my day, too.

And third, I gave the second in a series of two financial analysis presentations today at work. In spite of having to deliver mixed news, the presentation went very well and was positively received. The analysis involved required a significant amount of additional work on personal time, and the presentations themselves were pretty stressful, so I’m very thankful to be done with them. It’s a big load off my shoulders.

And fourth, well, I have great friends. Online friends, face-to-face friends, work friends, family. I tend to take that for granted until I see them rally around to support me and others when things are tough. You all are great, and I’m very thankful.

Things are looking up. And there’s chocolate. Yeah, Michelle!

Go visit Jim’s blog. Read his wonderfully foamy post “Jerkoff of the week: Downey Savings and Loan“. This particular story is especially entertaining because it appears that a snarky troll, adding all sorts of vitriolic commentary, seems to have done so from an Internet address labeled “downeysavings.com” - perhaps an ill-advised employee?

If you happen to be in California and anywhere near a branch of the aforementioned savings and loan, you might want to drop by and mention this story to them. I’m sure they’re proud of themselves. [/sarcasm]

While you’re on Jim’s blog, stay and read some other stuff too - Jim’s a good writer AND has great photoshop skills, too.