Well, the remodeling in the bathroom is done. 3/4 of the yardwork is done. The house is a mess. The first relatives begin to trickle in tomorrow afternoon. I go into work at five tomorrow afternoon, but will have to be up at 7:00 tomorrow morning to help get everything in order. You know, I don’t remember anyone asking me if I wanted to help host 20+ people in my home.

My aunt and uncle (who had come up for the day to help with some of the plumbing) met Dan for the first time this afternoon, after I had already left for work. I just found out a week ago that I was, in fact, out to my extended family. This little mini-reunion will be the first time it’s all out in the open, however. I’m just going to assume it’s made it through the grapevine to everyone, and let anyone who doesn’t know yet figure it out on their own. Seems less confrontational that way, right?

I’m not entirely certain that’s the best approach, but I think I’m beyond caring. The nervousness factor has been zero ever since I found out I’d been outed, something I would have done myself, assuming I ever got around to it.

20 people. 20 relatives. Ugh.

Far be it from me to engage in partisanship, but thank the gods those wrongheaded morons have been tamed.

I basically have no comment about the rest of the matter, as I’d never heard of the ‘person’ before she ‘died.’ But one really interesting wrinkle is that this syndrome, Munchausen By Internet, has actually been (lightly) documented and researched. The mind boggles. Oh, BTW — I’m pregnant.

Chris Cornell and the remaining members of Rage Against the Machine have united in an effort to return Chris’s gorgeous face to a music video channel near you. And they’ll probably cut a couple albums, too.

Scientists use engineered polio virus to battle brain cancer. I imagine getting volunteers for this study was a piece of cake. “C’mon, whaddayagottolose?”

The month and a half long search for New Delhi’s “Monkey Man” has been declared over. At least three people have died as a direct result of what police are calling public hysteria.

I somehow managed to actually read a book during last week’s grand mess: A Density of Souls by Christopher Rice, better known as Anne Rice’s gay son. I’m not really one for literary criticism in general, but I can say that there are only five authors in this world who have left me completely pissed off after finishing one of their books, and that two of them hail from New Orleans and are named Rice. Something about the way the book developed just seemed wrong. Sure, it was a compelling story (I finished it in one sitting, because I simply had to), but there was so much pain in that book, pain that didn’t really seem to serve any purpose. Yes, I know that pointless things happen every day. But why write a book about it? I have a life of my own, thanks, I was looking for fiction.

My totem animal is the eagle. Needless to say, I like this result more than the last one: “You’re a brisk, efficient and strong person: you aim to be one of life’s high-fliers and don’t stand for any nonsense from anyone. You’re not into money and are probably creative, mystical and have a genuine interest in other people’s lives and cultures. You’re a cool, nonjudgmental, broadminded mate - and much in demand because of it! In life, you’re destined to travel and to heal.”

Quiz time again: did you know your lover in a past life? “You are BEST MATES and extremely fond of each other. If you were together in a previous incarnation, [..] you were friends, work colleagues or even owner and pet! [..] A very strong bond exists between you and you are destined to be attached in one way or another for some time to come. Perhaps you’ll meet up again next time round… ”

Oh no! Six days and no posts! (etc, etc, proceed to excuses…) In summation: my car imploded, preparations to host 20+ relatives for Memorial Day are in progress, and I start my first regular day of work tomorrow. It’s been a little hectic.

A letter I sent yesterday afternoon:

I just got back from applying for a job with the county. ($8.30/hr, clerical, tuition assistance, banker’s hours) Or, I should say, attempting to do so. They only hire from the pool of applicants at the State Job Opportunity Commission (or whatever it’s called, it doesn’t really matter). I shaved my goatee off and dressed up (as in, not for comfort), just to go to a place with signs saying “Thank you for leaving your children at home” and “Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated” posted on every wall.

Your loving –if destitute– brother,
Jason

I may be indisposed for a while. I just downloaded Audiogalaxy Satellite. I’m giggling like a little schoolgirl. On the inside.

I never had a highschool romance. Is this the webgeek equivalent of scribbling his name all over my notebook? :)

They’re sending a greenhouse on wheels to Mars. Genetically modified plants will be grown in martian soil inside the lander. The plants were modified to bioluminesce under certain conditions, and will basically serve as one of the lander’s instruments. The mission doesn’t even launch until 2007, though, so we’ll have to wait a while before the plants escape the lander, take over the entire planet, and turn it into a psychedelic glowing orb in our night sky. Which won’t actually happen, of course. It would be too cool.

I’m waiting for this little offensive by the milk industry to develop into a shooting war. After screaming as loud as they can about soda machines in schools (which I could kind of agree with, though I don’t see milk as the best alternative), they’re now taking to task parents who give their kids too much fruit juice. Fruit juice. Fun activity to share with the kids: read that link closely, and try to figure out which words, exactly, were changed in the transformation from a press release to an article. Ugh.