the flu has loosened its grip on me, slightly. enough so that I can sit here for a few minutes, anyhow. if I had a laptop, it'd be different. this has truly been the worst flu I've had in years. possibly the worst since the one that turned into bronchitis on me in the spring of '99. rough.
my strongest remaining symptoms are weakness and dizzyness. at least I got my voice (almost) back - for a few days there it was just a croak. now I have croaking, yes, and also a pre-pubescent boy's sort of squeak.

I dreamed that I was being given an award for my ability to communicate with children. steve burns was presenting it to me, and I doubled over in a horrible coughing fit. I woke up coughing, sweaty and disappointed.

so my mother called me up and said, oh hey, all those friends of yours are in the new utne reader...
well, yeah! not just my friends, but me, too, sort of, by way of being one of the women behind mamaphiles. I haven't had a chance to see the utne piece yet, but I will be glad to show off the mamaphiles cover in all its glory:



if you haven't got a copy yet, go to mamasunidas distro today.

even though my feet hurt, it must be said that I love to go trick or treating, and that my neighborhood is the very finest trick or treat place I've ever seen, much less lived in. yeah I slapped a preposition on the end of the sentence, so what.
we walked through sidewalk haunted house displays, block parties, smoke machine made mists, you name it. it was grand. trick or treating at whole foods earlier in the day, that was nice and all, and the treats couldn't be beat, but that's nothing like going out and meeting your neighbors at their wackiest.
I'm really glad I live here.
and look:


Which Survivor of the Impending Nuclear Apocalypse Are You?
A Rum and Monkey joint.