Subtle, Yet Effective Mood Adjustment v. 2.0

Shirley is making cookies and it is mighty hard to stay out of them. MIGHTY HARD I tell you.

Still in the Southland having survived Turkey Day without killing my SIL. It was a near thing. The closest I came to losing it with her was when she wanted to take my picture while I was washing dishes after dinner.

Mind you, my SIL doesn't lift a finger to help post celebration. Ever. Shirley, myself and the niece went in to wash dishes and clean stuff up. What could have been a 30-45 minute job was about 15 with three people. At one point, my SIL comes in and is taking pictures of us working and then says to me in this really cajoling voice, "Jackie-girl, turn around so I can take your picture."

At that point I snapped, "No, you can't take my picture while I'm in here working. It's rude and it's disrespectful." She muttered something about how she didn't think it was rude but I don't care.

It was either snap or flip her off. The passive agression that characterizes every trip down here wears on my nerves. But as Shirley says, it's this holiday or Christmas and since that involves a lot more wankery I pick what I can handle.

Hoping for a Saturday departure so we don't hit so much traffic Sunday and just in general, I'm ready to be home, in my own bed, with my cats and my honey.

I'm still up in the air about what to do with my LJ but for the moment, I'll be disabling the crossposting and keeping my ear to the ground for further developments.

(and I have DW codes if anyone on LJ wants one.)

We had an earthquake drill at 10:20 am today as part of the "Great California Shake Out." Or at least that's what it was supposed to be. The announcement came on the intercom reminding every one that the drill was starting and you were to drop and get under your desk for 60 seconds.

(NOTE: 60 seconds in quake time might as well be the Apocalypse writ large. The '89 Loma Prieta quake was only 15 seconds and it took out part of the Bay Bridge and the entire Cypress Freeway.)

I got about half way under my desk; if something bad was going to happen my butt was going to take the brunt of it. Remember, I was half way under - head first.

Anyway, the drill finished and we went back to work. And what happened later?

There was a rumble then a swirling shake and the entire building shifted to the right before snapping back. Did anyone get under the desk? Nooo. As per unwritten California rules, we all froze to see if it was going to keep going.

Oh Cali folk, how I love you!

(However, take the time to check your disaster preparedness plans just to be on the safe side.)

For those of you who've brought new cats in the home, what do you do if there isn't a separate room you can put the new cat into? Is that a hard and fast rule? When we got Nashville, Karma didn't really care. He'd hold her down with one paw when she got on his nerves but other than that, they lived peaceably.

When Murphy came to us, Nashville ignored her, occasionally smacked her with her paw but again with the fairly peaceable living. We didn't separate them.

So what say you, Flist?

Yes, we are considering getting another cat. We'll be going back to Oakland Animal Services tomorrow to meet three more we're interested in.

Why does Suits even exist? If it was just about Harvey, Jessica (Gina Torres!), and everyone else, I'd probably watch it more often. But I absolutely detest Mike. I can only take so many smirky white guys on my TV screen.

Went to Fantastic Comics yesterday to pick up some comics and put together a brief pull list.

( Comics nattering which is relevant only if you care, which I do! )

The earth moved this morning yet again. When we get little temblors, they feel like someone who runs by you and gives you a little push. They sort of swirl beneath the house and then move on. The walls do move; they sort of shift to one side then snap back into place.

A little shake rattle and roll about 5 mintues ago. Report dutifully submitted to USGS.

[ETA: According to SF Quake Bot, there were two: 3.9 and 2.3, just outside of San Leandro.]

Shirley is calling my aunt, who lives in Harlem, right now to make sure she's okay. The last time I felt a quake in NYC was sometime in '86 or '87 when there was a quake in Montreal that was felt all the way down the Eastern seaboard.

Here's to hoping all my peeps are okay.