Schoolchild rite of passage committed 8:17 am PST

Son enters kitchen with a clean sheet of paper. "This assignment is due today. Will you help me?"

Also, this morning found 38% of drivers with headlights off travelling through dense fog. As a Canadian who is used to automatic headlights, and who habitually turns on her lights regardless of time of day, I do not understand the "win" behind reducing visibility in inclement weather conditions. Can someone, pardon the pun, enlighten me?

top city

The Top City

I haven't been to Denver, so I can't comment on its placement, but I'm scratching my head to figure out how Seattle can beat out San Francisco for desirability. I was talking with my spouse last night about cities and desirability: mostly asking him how Mrs. such-and-such could manage living in his hometown.

Spouse: "She's spent her whole life there."
Me: "What about your mom?"
Spouse: "She grew up in Indiana. Don't worry, I won't make you move back to my hometown."
Me: "I can't understand how people manage there."
Spouse: "They're not from Vancouver."

I don't hate Seattle. The jobs are easier to get, real estate is cheaper (yes, if you look at Vancouver BC -- it's quite possible to get a house based on INCOME, and not INHERITANCE/NET WORTH here. In fact, house prices have fallen to where one house on our street is valued at $297,000.). I'm not getting the "I need to bring my gun to a mall despite the no-guns-allowed sign" gestalt, nor the "who needs rapid transit? gridlock is fabulous!" mindset of Seattle, but other than those I like where I am. San Francisco, though: excellent restaurants, nifty wharves, history, cable car transit, very walkable. Good city!

Feel a wee bit o' self-loathing today

I must learn to be a better hostess to people who are afraid of animals.
Two of my three cats streak for downstairs when strange sounds/smells/bipeds enter the house, one of them measures the height/entertainment value of the intruder(s) and acts accordingly. He jumped on the PTA president. I need to remember to contain the cat. He's normally a very gentle sort, he just likes his heights.

I was listening to the "Misery Hour" podcast today, hours after I saw the thermometer in the morning read -5.5C, and heard "April 5th" and wept at both the beauty of the song and the ugliness of winter...

evening update: I was able to perform friend duty this evening to someone in need I care about, so perhaps I am not so awful after all...