Please excuse the freakout frenzy. It appears that JK Rowling has given us a present on her site in the form of a title for the 7th and final book in the series. Of course, she makes you work for it so if you want to see it you have follow a series of tasks and trials. Here are the instructions:

• Go to www.jkrowling.com
• Click on the “Enter Site” link with the British Flag
• Click on the Eraser on her desk
• You will now see her office door with the “Do Not Disturb” sign removed.
• Click on the doorway inside the mirror - you’ll see a Christmas tree appear
• Click the middle of the main door (not in the mirror) - a Christmas wreath appears
• Click on the mirror - a garland and lights appears
• Click on the little spider web on the side of door - the web disappears
• Click on the wind chimes and one of the chimes turns into a key
• Drag the key over to the lock “place” it in the hole
• The Door opens and you’ll see a present is on the desk
• Click on the present and you’ll see a Hangman game
• Click on the game and play it until you get the title

OR - you could just see the final answer by looking at the screen capture I made after completing the tasks…

(more…)

CNN has a video linked on their front page titled “UPS cuts out left turns, delivers packages faster” (thanks Katie) that is about…well…UPS cutting out left turns. Like the title says. Funny how it works that way, isn’t it?

Well…it’s AWESOME. As most of you know, I’m totally anti-left turn. Not for the sake of speed, however, but for the sake of something I like to call “Not Getting Killed.” I am the most defensive driver on the planet and I will ad 10 minutes on a drive if it avoids bad on/off ramps and/or left turns. I avoid all left turns on or off 4-lane highways without the assistance of a light. ALL of them. I will turn right every time. Now, if there is a light with a “Left Turn Yield On Green” sign, I will probably still avoid the turn. It depends the time of day and traffic in that area. If I feel like I might be forced to make a last second turn while the light is yellow? I won’t do it. I’ll go straight and find a better intersection or I’ll go right.

My favorite thing in the WORLD is the sign “Left Turn ONLY On Arrow”. That means there will be a moment where I can make a left turn without worrying what everyone else is doing. I love those intersections. If I could I would name my next child “Left Turn ONLY On Arrow” I love them so much. When an intersection changes to one of those? I rejoice and celebrate because, “Yay! Left Turns without the element of Death involved!” I know where all of those intersections in town are (there is one in front of Target) and will plan any left turns around those intersections.

All of this makes MrZ all sorts of crazy. Now, he has learned to cope with it over the years, and even suggests routes places that fit within my criteria, but it still makes him crazy. I mean, KRAZEE.

But UPS? UPS thinks I’m totally awesome and smart and thinks that, not only is my way safe, it is FAST. Well, that’s not quite true, they even avoid left turns with arrows because it slows them down waiting. But still, the concept is there. And I am totally awesome with my ant-left turn policy. No one can tell me different now. Amen.

I had to go to Target (had to go…had…) on my lunch break to get some prescription filled for NikkiZ. I have no idea what it was because at this point, I’m so ready for my family to be well again, that I just don’t care. Anthrax? Really? For congestion? Hmmm. Okay. While I was there I grabbed the latest issue of Vogue with Angelina on the cover.

Now, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I have loved Angelina Jolie since I first saw Foxfire back in college. MrZ can attest to that because when we first had the “If you had a list of 5 people you could cheat on me with…who would it be?” conversation, I had her at the top of my list. And maybe in spot number 5 too, just for good measure. I LUV HER.

So, I bought the magazine and ignored the ninety million advertisements (What’s up with that, Vogue?) and went straight for the article. It was so fascinating, reading how she described the beginning of her and Brad’s relationship. And motherhood. And acting. And everything else. I swear, I don’t know what it is but I would hang on her every word if she was simply reading the ingredients on a candybar. I just find her fascinating.

Anyway - my point is - are you like that about any celebrities? Do you find yourself mesmerized by anyone in the media spotlight? I would love to know I’m not the only one buying stupid magazines just to read a three-page article embedded in the fashion spreads.

Remember how LilZ missed an entire week of school? But he went back on Monday because his fever broke? Yeah. Those were good times. Guess what I did Monday night? Took him to the clinic because he was running another fever. Turns out his cold/sinus/Ebola issue morphed into an upper-respiratory infection over the weekend. They suggested he stay home from school yesterday and today. They did not, however, suggest who should take care of him since I work - so I sent him to school anyway.

(Kidding.)

And then…guess who’s school called yesterday to say she was running a fever? Come on…guess! NikkiZ’s! It was too late for us to get her an appointment at her doctor, so she has one this morning. Awesome.

So, MrZ is going to take her to the appointment in the morning to find out what disease she has (I’m betting on West Nile) and then, depending on what they say, I’ll come home with her - or she’ll go back to school. I’m betting “no” on the school though, since they don’t like kids to come back until their fever has been gone for 24 hours. How bad is it that I want to ask, “Is that 24 hours from when it broke or from when you last saw them with a fever?”

It’s times like this, when both kids are sick but I’m up getting ready for work and trying to do laundry, that I wonder if it’s fair to have more kids. I mean, I want 50 if my body would allow it, but can I give them the attention they truly need/deserve? (That’s a rhetorical question, by the way, if you’re thinking about saying, “Don’t have more kids if you can’t stay home with them!” please keep that to yourself.) If I can’t care for them when they’re sick, then what kind of mother could I be?

Luckily my uterus hates me, so it’s not a hugely pressing issue at the moment.

So, my point? Two sick kids. I’m finally over my crud (I never even ran a fever - I had Ebola-light) and MrZ hasn’t gotten it (yet) - so let’s hope all of this crap passes by Christmas. If not? Someone is getting the pink slip. Either Santa or God…I’m not sure who yet.

Man. You all seriously rock my socks. All of the comments on my wine entry both schooled me and helped me to not feel alone in the quest to graduate into adulthood with proper wine drinking. And by “proper” I mean “No More Boone’s Farm” - unless I’m kicking it old school. Sometimes you just gotta stay in touch with your younger, poorer self. You know, the same one that shopped at dig stores and picked up furniture off the side of the road.

It still amazes me after three years how blogging actually does improve my life. You all teach me things I’d be too lazy to research on my own. And sometimes you simply sympathisize about also not knowing - making me feel less like a moron. Both of these things I’m severely grateful for.

Speaking of sappy stuff - I watched that Rob Lowe movie, “A Perfect Day” last night and I cried in it. Where that could mean that the movie was that good and Rob Lowe’s performance was moving - I’m thinking it really just means I’m so exhausted my emotions have gone haywire. Now is where you all chime in and say, “No! I saw the movie too and it was amazing! I cried too!”

(crickets chirping)

Oh well, at least we have our pink wine.