1. Bad: Achy leg, I'm worried it might be a stress fractured. Good: I can still walk on it, and I'll see the doc soon about it.

2. Bad: We seem to be having strong thunderstorms with torrential rain and high winds 2 or 3 times a week. Good: The basement hasn't flooded again.

3. Extra bad: Mom's in the hospital after fainting yesterday morning. Good: They seem fairly sure it was not a heart attack. Too soon to tell: She's got a bunch of tests scheduled for today, so I am nervous but trying to stay positive.

I have nothing as bad as breast cancer in my life, thank god. I'm sorry to hear about your colleague, rainbaby.

Since you asked, though, I will gripe a bit. (And concentrate on some good stuff.)

1. Bad: I can relate to the tooth woes. My incredibly fragile fake front tooth is loose again and I don't have the foggiest of how to find a cosmetic dentist in London that I like and trust. (To get a permanent tooth, I have to come up with four thousand fucking dollars, have a bone graft, and get an implant. None of these things are appealing at ALL.) Good: to make myself feel better when I think about how I'm going to pay an oral surgeon to peel my upper gum off of my skull (or when I get to thinking about how I can't bite into a sammich or anything, or how much I hate looking for a job, or how I would kill for a massage and some acupuncture but have no cash for those kinds of things) I have started saying things like: "Well, at least you don't have a tapeworm. Now that would be horrific to deal with." It really does make me feel better. Sorry it's gross.

2. Bad: It's raining and really gusty and I need to run errands. Good: I think I'll just postpone on the errands, try not to worry about them (eek), and catch up on some emails.

3. Bad: It's 3.00pm and I'm not dressed yet. Good: who cares. Have some tea.

1. Good: Chatted with the boss this morning and he is very pleased with everything I've been doing. :) Hopefully that'll translate into more $ for me.

2. Bad: I didn't fall asleep until 1something this morning, which means I'm down several hours and I'm totes all yawning at my desk.
2a. Good: I'm the only minion in the office today, which makes me happy because after the boss leaves, I can blare my tunes.

3. Bad: My brother called this morning to let me know he did have to order a part for the front suspension of my new-to-me car. Unfortunately, this means I have to continue driving my mother's SUV to work. I hate SUVs.

1. Bad: Heat wave to test power grid plus Electricity prices in Greece have gone up by 30% for the last 3 years and half = double suckage.

2. Good: At least since we moved to Athens, we can afford to pay the electricity. (And I'm running the AC right now, naughty me - though it's after six, so I guess not "peak hours"... but I have no idea what peak hours are. maybe it's peak.)

3. Bad: The scrapes from my tumble the other day are still really painful and yucky, and I'm not bouncing back from that as well/quickly as I thought I would... but [good:] it could have so easily been a broken bone, so I'm still lucky. Not as lucky as I would have been if some poohead hadn't poured super-slippery marble dust over an oil stain on a very steep incline... but still.

Bad: My throat has been sore for 2 months.

Good: I am finally seeing a doctor today about it.

Good: Smooshie has finally gotten the hang out pooping in the litter box!

Bad: I have what I think is tendonitis in my left hand. I will go to the doctor on Friday, the earliest day I can get there, but cannot make an appointment as my GP now has this system where you have to phone at 8am (and of course it'll be engaged) and keep on trying to get through until someone answers and then they'll tell you if the doctor can see you that day.

Bad: This has been one of the most expensive months I've had in years - on top of my usual bills I've also had car tax, TV licence, MOT & annual service for the car (which is on Wednesday, so is as yet an unknown amount, but at least £130 usually), bill for US flights as well as numerous other purchases/events that have been very spendy by my normal tightwad standards.

Good: I have the money for all the above, thanks to learning - and practising - financial prudence over the last few years.

((((rainbaby))))

1. Bad: leads are slow, no projects for going on week 5 or so. Digging into equity etc. Good: still have equity to dig into, and vegetables are cheap.

2. Good: Otto the pup has taken to swimming like a fish, He also has all of his new incisors, and is becoming buds with Simon, as seen in this very bad, dark, & blurry cell phone pic in which Otto is using Simon's butt as a pillow:
≡ Click to see image ≡

3. Good: I think I am getting some muscles from my kettlebelling, crunching, pushups, and biking routines.

Bad/Good?: Looks like I may be staying at my current high school next year. I put my resume and cover letter up on the Open Transfer website and selected about twenty schools to send it to, but nobody's contacted me. About half aren't listed anymore. I think I may have been too late in the application process. The Open Transfer period goes from April until August 7th, and I didn't apply until almost June. There's still a little time, but I'm not hopeful. I may be a bit expensive, too; I'm about in the middle of the salary scale, so, with budget cuts looming, schools may opt for cheaper, new teachers. But I'm worth it, darn it. : )

On the good side, maybe it's not so bad to stay where I am. It's familiar; I get to teach the older kids (11th and 12th grades), which I like; as far as I know, I get double periods with my 11th graders, which I also like; I get to teach AP; I have a lot of stuff, like syllabi and exams, I can reuse next year; and they seem happy with my work. It's a long commute, though (an hour and twenty minutes each way), and there's a new Assistant Principal who I know will be a problem (I used to co-teach with him six years ago, and we almost killed each other then); everybody calls him "Little Napoleon," but he's best friends with the principal. I think he'll leave me alone, though. They like my 90% pass rate on the state English regents exam.

Extra Good: I have almost eight more weeks before I have to worry about any of this.

Good: Awesome 4th of July weekend in Piermont, NY. Lots of good food, drinks, and swims* in the Hudson.

Bad: Trip back to Boston took 7 hours, partly due to holiday weekend travel, and partly due to two motorcyclists ending their lives on I-91.

Extra bad: The way the rest of the passengers on the bus *stood up* to get a better view of the wreckage when we rolled by, and some even snapped pictures and video. Made me hate humanity.

*: Can one say 'swims'?

1. Bad: It's been raining and miserable all day, but only with pissy little thunder cracks. London couldn't put on a good storm to save its life. Good: I haven't had to go out today. In fact I only got out of bed at 1.30pm.

2. Bad: Because I have an abcess in (on?) my leg. Doc thinks I picked up the infection in an ingrown hair when I visited a friend in hospital, so I'll add 'no exposed skin in staph-ridden hospitals' to my list of protips. My leg is sore and twinging and doesn't like moving, the antibiotics I'm on are nauseating and I feel like a disgusting festy infected sloth and my body fucken hates me.

3. Good: Delicious risotto and salad for dinner, made yesterday so only needing reheating. Yay.

Bad: My kids were due to start a week long "human body" camp at the place where my sister works. We slept in. I feel like a flake.

Good: I called them, apologized. They said no big deal. Bring them tomorrow!

Bad: I did not feel like working out today. I never do lately. It's such a chore.

Good: I dragged myself to the YMCA and did 45 minutes with the trainer and 40 minutes on the elliptical. I feel like I accomplished something.

Bad: Younger Boy was sent home from summer daycare for spitting and throwing his shoes at his teachers. He did say he wouldn't hit or bite anyone, but apparently the shoe and spitting things are exemptions.

Good: Big Project finally moving along, so far nobody's royally pissed at us.

Bad: I'd forgotten that the money for YB's Fall daycare is due TODAY.

Good: thanks to the gommit bribe, I might be able to cover it.

Bad: most of today is just gone, and I still have pointless meetings to attend.

Good: the day is almost done!

1. Bad news: Mr. V was on his way to the gym at 5 am (I was getting in the shower) when he told me that the shower was running in the other bathroom. Turns out the youngest cub (age 11) couldn't sleep because of severe pain in his ear. Good news: I got to call out of work.

2. Bad news: Could not get through to the pediatrician on the phone. Good News: Called the walk in clinic, and they had someone there to see kids (they don't always).

3. Bad news: We spent THREE HOURS at the doctor's office. Egad. Good news: We now have medicine, I have the rest of the afternoon to myself (because Youngest Cub is feeling well enough to go to a friend's house), and I did some chores while waiting for the doctor's office to open. And I'm off tomorrow anyway. Yay!

Bad news: apartment rent and roommate stuff that I am too stressed out about to even begin to discuss
I have to have another uncomfortable conversation tonight somewhere inbetween or during my yoga class and dinner with a friend, and this one probably won't be the last either I just want it resolved. Not knowing is so much worse sometimes.

Good news: I had a great time with the hot guy in Columbus and it looks like this may work a little longer. We will see where the summer takes us and if we can arrange another visit soon enough to make a relationship seems realistic.

Bad news: Work is so annoying right now, and in our dept meeting tomorrow I know there will be some drama (because I outline the agenda and people have been writing incendiary things to me to put on the list). Not looking forward to it.

1. Good: Took my auntie and my mom to the doctor's office today; they actually liked the doctor, which is a miracle and the doctor said that if the neurologist gives us any trouble in setting up post stroke rehab therapy tell her and she will make it happen. Yay.

2. Good: Went back to look at the houselet again today. I still like it AND my mom & auntie like it! My mom is super picky about ridiculous details like water and heat and, you know, bourgeois things like that, so this means it is a good deal AND, keep your fingers and toes crossed, I'm going to make an offer on it TONIGHT. Eeep.

3. Bad: My mom is definitely slipping a little mentally - I had been thinking so for a while and a couple of conversations over the last few days have really confirmed it - and auntie is, of course, way in and out of reality; you never know how coherent she's going to be at any given moment. Taking them around town is exhausting and there's going to be a lot, lot, lot more of it. There is a long road in front of us here and it is not an easy one.

And now, a Good/Bad rat poem!

Bad the rat hole was found
Good the rat hole was found
Good there have been no more dead rats
Bad there have been no more dead rats
Yet do not forget
Schroedingers rat behind the stove
Alive? Dead? Nonexistent?
Only observation will tell
and I
Cannot observe. Cowardice.

Mygothlaundry, good luck on the house. EEEEEEE!! (I'm sorry about your mom slipping a little. I don't know what else to say.)

And I forgot to send my condolences to rainbaby for her friend.

Good luck on the house from me too!!

Bad news: I'm dreading the overlap time between my new and old housemates at the end of this month/beginning of next. One has to move in the weekend before the end of the month, and one can't move out until the first weekend of the month. Argh.

Good news: Oreos come in mint flavor and they no longer use hydrogenated oil. Very tasty.

Bad news: See above.

Good news: My tomatoes are ripening nicely

Bad news: Damn birds peck at them as soon as they realize the tomatoes are getting reddish.

1. Bad: In Taiwan. Climate here makes Florida look like the Gobi Desert in winter.

2. Bad: Being slowly bled dry by giant vampire moster mutant mosquitoes. They hover around your ears and taunt you.

3. Good: Finally found internet access at local library. Hi bunnies!
(Bad: this is sooooo going to cut down on productivity finishing my thesis.)

Anyone want ky00t merchandise? Pens, funny Engrishified stationery, sparkly hair thingies?

I'm so sorry to hear that, rainbaby. Big hugs to you.
I hope your mom is OK, Joe.
Good luck with house, MGL.

1. Good--I found this dress for much less than retail at the outlet. I will not look like a hillbilly for the big fancy schmancy black tie wedding mr. rossi is in.

2. Bad--Between the wedding gift, the bachelor party, the hotel, the tux, etc., this wedding is costing us a freakin' RIDICULOUS amount of money. And it's making me really, really resent our friend's bride-to-be for being such a demanding pretentious twit.

3. Good--It was the mister's first day as coach of the girl's soccer team today. It was super cute.

Jrossi, that is a GORGEOUS dress!!!