I am at mom's house right now, drooling as she prepares an early St. Pat's dinner. (Mmmm... slow-cooked corned beef, potatoes and cabbage!) Here's the highlights for this week.

• Congratulations to Thien on her new design and illustration jobs in the Cities!  Now you'll have better food to devour, and more money in your pockets.  Working in the Cities worked for me!  (Sweating at the idea of Lucinda, Thien, AJ, myself and future disposable income on all three of our parts being invested in high-brow gluttony.  Ooh!  *Shivers.*)  All I need is a few thousand more bucks and a ticket to kidnap Ashbet, and however else who wishes to volunteer for a epicurean adventure of massive proportions.  YEAH!  I totally need to make a reality show out of this so I can get funding.  I really like that idea.  "Foodie Attack" on at 7:00 pm on Food Network.  YES!  Who needs reckless sex, drugs and anger at the world when you have nummies.
• While modeling at MCAD, I had a twilight zone moment.  I met an artist with my name, who also happened to be a cartoonist.  We had a freakish amount of commonalities.  My name has one "s" whereas hers has two, but her boyfriend and her really good friend also had a double letter difference in their names.  I will be sure to share her site when I am back in the office.  Weird!  Bonus: The teacher recognized me from modeling ten years ago!  :D
• I went to Not-Old-Friend-From-High-School Anna's birthday party after the above-mentioned interesting modeling session at MCAD at Merlin's Rest Pub.  We had a grand old time.  I loved all of her friends.  They were absolutely charming peopIe. 
• Her Russian friend was especially amusing to me.  At one point she was silly with booze and her friends were trying to get her to slow down.  I screamed, "She's just honoring her cultural traditions," and the cute Russian woman just laughed her head off.  No wonder I have a soft spot for Eastern Europeans. 
• Lucinda had a winner too when she brought a chocolate high-heel shoe as Anna's present.   I remarked, "Wow, two fetishes in one present."  With a cocky smirk and a deliberate nod, Lucinda replied, "Yup."  Speaking of funny fetishes, cute Russian woman brought up the subject of the wonders of "gay men."  Having a weird fascination with homosexual males myself, I simply had to join in the effusive conversation.  More women joined in the praise of gay men as time rolled on.  In the midst of our conversation, one of Anna's friends asked, "What about bisexual men." All of us ladies shrugged our shoulders and said, "Meh."  Explain that one. 
• I want to cry because I left my leftover cottage pie behind after I left the party. *Cries*
• Fortunately, the abandonment of cottage pie was redeemed when I stopped by AJ's place to say hello to her, her sweetheart and the kids.  She gave me a vintage Laura Ashley dress that was supposed to go to the thrift store.  It's so pretty.
• Bio-mom got her aid back!  It took hell for her to get help, but she got it.   Now she can focus on getting ready to get her GED and go to college.  I was even prouder when she told me, "Once I get everything in place, the government can keep its damn money.  I am going to be a car mechanic and nothing's gonna stop me."  Little Blond also is starting to behave again.  Between Bio-mom's determination, my stubborness, her therapy and her incredibly compassionate teacher, she's on her way to success again.
• Speaking of the child...  Little Blond came home with a sweater that didn't belong to her.  Bio-mom and I freaked, "Where did you get it?"  She nonchalantly explained that she "borrowed" it from the lunch room.  We freaked again, gave her a spiel about stealing, and drove her little blond butt to school. 
  
  We expected her to tell her teacher what she had done and find the owner of the sweater.  We didn't expect her teacher to tell us, "She was so cold this morning, and I didn't want her wearing a coat in class.  So I had her pick up a sweater from the lunch room.  I would suggest you include an extra sweater in her backpack.  She gets cold very easily."  Bio-mom and I apologized up and down to the teacher and Little Blond in complete embarassment.  Little Blond was happy, but she still had to do the homework she missed during her absence.   BWHAHAHAHHA!!!  >:D