Wah! Mad Mad's first day of school!

She's in the first grade...the first grade...Mad Madeleine has gone...to the first grade...

I sang that to her this morning and she told me to quit making her nervous.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Answers

School starts so early in Texas!

Did you get her monogrammed backpack?

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

What crazy state starts school in mid-August?!

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

I did! It came while we were gone. It's so cute!

I know, y'all. My mom doesn't start for like two more weeks. They don't get out any earlier, either.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Georgia started today, too.

Y'all. Through sheer providence, a pair of Lyle Lovett tickets landed in our lap at 10 yesterday morning. We went to the show (although I don't know if Chris was thrilled as he'd already worked 13 hours this weekend) and it rained. Rained, y'all. It was the kind of downpour that you'd think would subside after about 10 minutes, but it did not. I forgot the umbrella in the car, and I didn't grab any GoreTex because I only wanted to fool with the cooler, not a million bags. It rained and rained and rained. I was waiting for Noah to come. Ms. Francine Reed wore a shower cap for the whole show.

After the show, we were walking back to the car. In the rain. Chris was not in a good mood, bless his heart. We walked by a green Honda with Texas plates. I thought, "That must be the MOC-mobile." I turned around and saw, backlit, a tall woman in a cowboy hat and a man with a wet ponytail.

Providence, I tell you. Dripping wet, lightning-lit Providence.

Al, Keb Mo is this Wednesday. Chris' friend Matt convinced him that we don't need to buy tickets - that we can show up and get them on Wednesday before the show. What do you think?

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

I'll be at K-Mart buying paint and Martha Stewart products if you need me.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

I spent the weekend at the lake with my cousins and dad and everyone. So much fun.

But last night I still had the on-a-boat sensation. Still sort of have it now.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

A-Lo ... I know you're not just going to let me slam your favorite Iron Chef and not respond.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

The Storm of the Century could not drown out Lyle, y'all.

I could not believe you were right there on the sidewalk in front of us. I have never been more pathetic in my life. We loved the show - had no umbrella and did not take cover for even one minute during the typhoon - but we were miserable. I pulled my jeans half-off as I was getting into the car (aren't you sad you missed it, T?) and Chris goes "AL, you are showing your ASS TO THE WORLD!"

People, I did not care. I didn't want to ruin the seat! He refused to do the same, and had to sit on a plastic Target bag on the way to work.

We had forgotten what real rain was.

The MOC and I came home last night, and ripped off our clothes to take a shower. He got in and I said "I mean this in the least romantic way possible, but... I cannot stand here in the freezing bathroom. I'm getting in with you." He was like "Fine."

We didn't speak until we said good night as we fell asleep with towels around our head.

Keb Mo sounds great. We might as well try it, even without tickets. We have tickets for Willie for next Sunday. If it rains, I will stick it out. Anything for Willie.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

A-Lo ... I know you're not just going to let me slam your favorite Iron Chef and not respond.

Oh, I responded. With vemom!

And, actually, Morimoto is not my favorite. Sakai is. But I love them all, really.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Y'all, not to self-promote, but I'm cracking myself up on my chat today.

http://cgi1.usatoday.com/mchat/20010813004/tscript.htm

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Al - how was your interview?

My cousins taught me two chords. I now know A and E. I can play nothing! And they sort of showed me how to read tab, but then my smarty pants dad went on about how I should really just learn to read music and then I could play anything anywhere, and wouldn't that just be so much better for me? I was like, listen Stevie, I just want to be able to play Lucinda and sing.

How is it possible that I didn't get the Merrill music gene? It's cruel and hate them all.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

I can read music, and it doesn't help my much since I'd never really played guitar until this year. You have to learn how to PLAY the thing. Reading music is not going to help if you don't know what strings are what and how to make chords.

If you learn D, you can play like, 10 Lucinda songs. A,E,D - very easy.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Berman - will check the chat.

H - and when I say "I can read music," I actually mean that. I read very well. But it doesn't make any difference when you're learning a brand new instrument.

People, I learned "My Heroes have always been cowboys" this weekend, with the help of the MOC, and I swear, tears came to my eyes. He laughed and laughed.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Y'all, I'm beginning to fear that I will be unemployed forever. I need a paychec. Yesterday, I was at the Williams Sonoma getting registration stuff. They had beautiful wooden cutting boards on sale for nothing - nothing, I say! But could I buy one? Or a lovely ceramic utensil holder to put next to the stove? No! Because I am unemployed. If only Chris would let me file for unemployment. He just can't stand the thought of a woman on the dole, I guess.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

People. The picture of Lin Chao.

Nothing? Man, y'all are a hard crowd.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Well, I thought our approval of that went without saying.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Well, I think my dad was on the "read music" thing for AFTER I learn to play the damn thing. I think he was just trying to justify that he thinks tab is whack.

Okay - D. I'm all over it. If I can find a simple song with A,E,D and then practice the shit out of it and get used to moving my fingers from chord to chord, I think I'll be unstoppable. Unstoppable I say!

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

AB. Lin Chao picture of numbah one quality.

Y'all... I'm so embarrassed, but I am watching Passions right now... and WHAT the HELL is UP with this SHOW?

There's some kind of crazy, gay midget and these teenagers and everything's on fire? What?

Don't tell the MOC.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Or Chris. I'm watching it under the ruse of cleaning out the file cabinet.

To answer your question, though, I have no idea what the deal is with this show. Right now, people are writhing around. Or something. They're doomed! They're all doomed!

I don't know what the hell is up with the Timmy midget guy, or the Julia Child-looking woman who talks to a skull that she carries around in a Baby Bjorn.

I think we L of Ls need to do a collaborative entry. Joh, don't you wish YOU were unemployed?

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Joh, don't you wish YOU were unemployed?

Actually, you have no idea how much.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Why do I have a Cracker Barrel receipt from 1998? Why??

How far back do I need to keep my income tax information?

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Shit, y'all. I just threw out my paystubs from the Garden, and y'all: I was making $511/ pay period. I paid rent with that, AND bought groceries. That is criminal.

But now, I'd LOVE to get $500 every two weeks. I'd be thrilled. I'd have my cutting board.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Al, I have to ask, can you stand Rosie O'Donnell? I swear, she makes me wish I had cable.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

You're supposed to keep everything for 5 years, but I just keep it until I get my tax return back. Like, I still have everything from 2000, but nothing from '99. (Save credit card stubs and stuff like that.)

But I don't own a home or have any exemptions or anything like that.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

I used to keep EVERYTHING. Today, though, I ditched my Garden paystubs, my Limited credit card information, all the stuff that is closed. Now I'm going to go mental worrying about whether or not I should have thrown it all away.

I don't think I need my health insurance information from three jobs ago, though.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Y'all, the MATH + 1 Forum is just 200 posts behind the one for the Casey Affleck fan club.

That is all.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Is that a challenge, Berman? Smells like one to me.

The other Hannah went to a 3wa Boston thing this weekend, and word round them parts, is that the main reason Beth left was that she didn't like how uncensored the sex threads were.

Seperate beds and all.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Hey, that was the whole impetus behind the pick-up lines question.

I vaguely recall from older entries that the seperate beds thing isn't Beth's idea, but Jeremy's. But I could be wrong.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

I remember reading that one too, but I think it started because they broke up, but couldn't afford to move, and then they got used to having their own rooms.

I can't remember any good pick-up lines, although I know I know some.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

And we're only 25,000 behind xeney's old forum. Crap, that's a lot.

But I can't believe we have 1,000 posts already.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Hmph. L_L.

Is it possible for a sunburn to make you weepy, because I've been really emotional today, and uh, it's not the time for it.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Sunburn can do many things. I put nothing past it.

See, I just think the whole seperate bedrooms thing is whack. I understand about breaking up and all that, and I can even see keeping one of the bedrooms set up as a guest room or an escape, after they got back together. But to keep sleeping in your own, seperate bed after you've reunited with your love? Fucked. Up.

Anyway. I need to go to the gym. I've been putting it off all day and I have no excuse. None. I think I'll make vegetable soup tonight. And because my life is so, so exciting, tomorrow for dinner I'm going to make a shrimp recipe that I saw Ming Tsai make on Live With Regis And Kelly. Because I'm pathetic. Don't even get me started on my analysis of The People's Court and Judge Marilyn.

(It's not that I do nothing all day. I just have the tv on when I'm writing cover letters, emailing, reading, etc.)

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001