No prizes this week. No time. Sorry

Thank you for coming! Sorry I was a poor hostess! Feel free to give awards yourselves in the comments!

Thanksgiving makes a really good word to use in Hangman

Very few vowels, and a bunch of uncommonly used consonants. If you're playing Hangman in the Spring, you'll definitely win the round. Not so much in November.

We're going to be driving 6 hours up to my mom's house tomorrow. Then Saturday, we're driving down to NYC. Then Sunday, we'll be driving back here. I may or may not be on-line for most of that. Please leave your whines here. Whining will be open through at least Saturday, given the high whine content of most T'giving get-togethers.

Edited to add, I'm sorry that this is a United States-centric post. All non-T'giving and International whines also accepted.

A Breathtaking Post of Folly and Triumph

Let's begin with a triumph: Congratulations to Esperanza, who is currently more pregnant than she has ever been! Passing the chocolate cake, and plenty of Stay Put, Mini-Baboo wishes. Gravy Days from here on out! (hat tip to Amy, for the gravy.)

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Our own KLee wins the Booyah! Award for acing her final! Happy dancing and confetti all around. Or as Liz says, "PARTY WITH THE SMARTY!"

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Sue wins the Meeting Scheduling Death-Stare Showdown Award, for successfully drawing the line at the dreaded endless breakfast meeting of doom being held on her one and only day off. Way to go, Sue! Also, the Pixies agree that Sue's workouts have resulted in muscle gain, so those breakfast people had better not mess with her.

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On to the follies. Emily wins the Old Skool Award for her report on people who pick the walnuts off the top of the bran muffins. Sounds like an inside job to us, and if this happened at our houses, we would know exactly which miscreant(s) to suspect. Runners up are Liz, who spilled coffee on her tissue box, and Sue, whose cat barfed in the laundry.

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Parliamentary Procedure, My Aunt Fanny Award to Liz, for her dramatic and entertaining report on a meeting that sank into a morass, with certain persons showing their ugly sides and Robert's Rules of Order preventing salvage operations. And the best part, after all the mayhem? Oh, nevermind, no quorum. Says Madeleine, "ha ha ha ha ha, no quorum, ha ha ha. You're killin' me here, liz."

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Neighbor Lady richly deserves the Elevated Risk of Mullet Award for her priceless response to Liz's report: "Who is this Robert, anyway? And who said he could be in charge???!" Sue diagnoses Robert as a schoolyard bully, and who are we to argue?

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There was a small misunderstanding about the suggestion of duct tape. It is not recommended for baby-stay-put, or for direct snot removal, but might help with a snot-sucking bulb that has developed a hole. In any event, Esperanza wins a virtual fresh new snot bulb that works, for her Whine of the Bulb, and soothing seatage for her Whine of the Butt hurting after 4 hours of schlepping around to various medical appointments. And all this on top of losing her internet for days! And ear infections -- two for the Sweet Baboo, one for each ear!

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Bad! Pizza! Award to Neighbor Lady, who took a risk on the lactose intolerance, but teh pizza was so not worth it. Maybe the soy cheese suggested by PK will work? But on a better pizza!!

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Fire Hydrant Crisis Award to KLee, whose daughter's school bus hit one. Oy oy oy. Plus migraine, enough to make anyone want to stop the week and let them get off.

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Taxi, Please Award to Madeleine, who made it safely away from the virusy, feverish situation at home, but is stuck in a hotel away from both the conference and room service. Hope there is takeout and something decent on cable, anyway.

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Amy wins the Voice of Reason Award, for dealing with mamas in the play group who think they can and will control all giftage from relatives and friends for ever. Ha ha ha ha!

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The Cluestick Posse is saddling up this week for the people tormenting Purple Kangaroo with their extensive "friendly advice" about caring for a child with difficulties about which they know nothing. No, dudes, this isn't a problem you can solve by blaming the parents. PK's gracious refusals to respond in kind earn her a Purple Heart of Parenting Award.

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Condolences, as always, to those who are under the weather, those with family who are sick, those who are sick of the weather and/or the season, those with homework woes, and those with other woes of any kind.

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See you next week, when the fabulous Liz will host the Thanksgiving Edition!

Not Going To Take It Any More

Hi! Today is my beloved's birthday. We'll have a nice dinner with our son later, but have started the day with the scent of fraud on the telephone bill.

Some company (Tr@ns@act!0n Cle@r!ng) has charged us $13.99/month on the last couple of phone bills for bogus services that we never authorized. Quelle surprise, the number for billing inquiries cut me off, twice. Dr. Google says there are a number of complaints about this company's fraudulent practices, and that it is associated with another company that ponied up a large fine recently for similar deeds. So, I've filed a complaint with the FTC; plan some choice words with the phone company (AllToodle&Tweedle) allowing these jackasses to bill me; and I'll get in touch with the state department of consumer affairs. Maybe the consumer fraud unit of the state AG's office, too.

We aren't so special; this outfit could easily be scamming thousands or millions of others. (There is actually a word for sticking unauthorized charges in teh phone bill: "cramming." But I prefer "fraud.") Cluesticking is totally inadequate to the circumstances, especially when every one of us has worries about financial matters, personal and large-scale.

Edited to add: Fraudulent Cle@r!ng was billing on behalf of a company called R0cketC0mm, which itself has been accused of similar scams using other billing services to invade your phone bill. So far, my experience with phone menu heck and terminal hold at AllTwoodles is unsatisfying.

Hope the ailing Pixies are feeling better this week! What are your whines and anti-whines?

Awards: Just Not Happening Edition

Hey, pixies. I think you will understand when I say that I just won't be able to write an awards ceremony this week. I'm breathing a lot better today, but I still feel weak and get winded if I do too much. Any energy I've got needs to go into prepping for a work trip I might or might not take next week. (Even if I decide not to go, I need to prepare materials for a colleague who will play my role. His family is only 50% sick, and he isn't in the sick half, so it seems likely he can make it.)

I hear overall travel numbers are down lately and I don't doubt it. This wide-spread flu is for real.

I know several of the pixies manage chronic illness without much reprieve. I salute you!

The Inevitable Edition

It had to happen. I've been fighting a cold for a week, tired every night but not really worse than the day before. So today when Snuggly Girl woke up with a headache and a low fever I wasn't shocked.

The good news is that she was really sad that she couldn't go to school.

The bad news is that a set of books she desperately wants to re-read (for the umpteenth time) is sitting on the library hold shelf and we can't get there to pick them up. I was gonna take her, but My Love talked me out of it, and when her fever went up to 102 this afternoon I was glad we didn't go merrily spreading germs around town, even if I don't think it's the Flu. But 102 this afternoon means no school tomorrow either. Hmph.

And I'm feeling moderately crappy myself. Tea and chicken noodle soup, pixies. Would you like some?

Awards! Better very late than never edition

This week and weekend have been very much about catching up on things left undone throughout the campaign season, so I apologize for having left this undone too.

Elevated Risk of Mullet goes to Debangel for "Liverdance"

Whine of Substance goes to P_K on behalf of AJ. I'm glad that the new doctor seems good, but I'm so sorry that AJ is having such difficulties. I do hope that you can find a solution for her.

Runner up goes to Amy on the waiting for the other shoe to drop and to Jenevieve whose brother is in deep trouble (but who seems to have made at least one good decision) and whose parents like to leave her out of the loop.

The Cluestick Posse is getting sent to the grandmother of KLee's student. Refuses to learn ASL, does she? We'll fix THAT.

The Cluestick Posse is also getting sent to 53% of the voters in Maine. They suck, and we're gonna make sure they know it.

The This One Time At Band Camp Award goes to Amy - whose Tater apparently can't sleep through anything EXCEPT band practice right under his crib.

The Unbloggable Good Things Come To Those Who Work And Wait Award goes to Kathy A. Hooray!!

The You Must Have Been A Boy Scout Award to Emily for having an extra shirt in a time of need.

Hugs and love to everyone else. Esperanza, I hope you pick out a girl's name fast! I'm partial to Margaret myself.

WW: Election day edition

By the time this posts I will be out at the putative busiest polling place begging people to vote for my husband. I don't know what the weather will be, but it will be fireplacing DARK out. Please, for the love of all that is holy, please do not let it be rainy, foggy, or too bloody cold. Thank you.

I hope that No on 8 wins in Maine.
I hope (yes, yes I do) that my husband wins.
I hope that Deeds and Wagner and Shannon win here.
I hope that the Dems win a majority in the VA House of Delegates.
I hope that the Dems win in NJ.

In that order.

See you all tomorrow with news. In the meantime: Whining Time is officially open. Pixies....start your whining!

Mile-high Awards

This awards ceremony is taking place at cruising altitude,* when I shoulda been home by now, courtesy of two (count 'em, two) flights in the same day with mechanical problems. But it is no longer Wednesday, so let's smile and move on. Pixies can haz mini kit-katz, no matter what KLee's brother thinks!

Creeping Crud Awards to all the pixies who are sick, have kids who are sick, are trying desperately not to get sick, or have friends with kids who are very sick. This is nearly everyone, but the verifiable list is: Sarah, esperanza (with bonus whiney husband!), Amy, Neighbor Lady (bonus throw-up phobia *and* fake sunburn), Sue, Jen, and maybe I missed someone. It's been a long week.

Future Michael Jackson Award to Amy's Tater, who learned to clap his hands and dance last week! When he does both them at the same time please make the pixies a video.

Old Skool Award goes to Elizabeth and Sue for Grumpiness of Unknown Origin (hat tips to Sarah for the diagnosis). And to Jenevieve who can't find a chocolate ice cream she loves. That *is* hard.

Second Verse, Same as the First Award to esperanza, for the second round of messy window-replacing right when the house was getting cleaned . . .

Much empathy to Emily, whose kids don't load the dishwasher but get offended when she points it out. (Did I ever tell y'all about the time during Senior year of college when I offered to show one of my roommates how to change the TP roll? It was a tricky mechanism and I thought maybe she hadn't figured it out in all those years. Ahem.)

Stylish Whine Award to kathy a., for her ballad of incompetent street repair schedulers. Bonus points for sending her song to the Powers That Be and actually getting some action from them! Sometimes whining is its own reward, and sometimes it Gets Things Done. Huzzah, kathy!

All of our accumulated patience points are on loan to Purple_Kangaroo, until such time as her girl gets some effective treatment so she can stop the constant worrying about POISON. So much to deal with, P_K. We wish we could help.

It's the Stupid Economy Award to Amy, in anticipation of the imminent job loss in the family. Let's hope the lead time is useful for more than just extended worrying. And a side of Silver Lining for the expected improvement in whining content.

Elevated Risk of Mullet is a tough competition this week. On the one hand, we have Jenevieve with "I will not accept this full-sentence-speaking, guitar-playing, potty-training, sous-chef." (Send him over here -- I could use a sous-chef!) On the other hand, there's Emily's succinct description of Liz's corporate fun day: "Nothing says "team building" like handing out sharp knives and inviting competition!" But on my third hand, available due to extensive parenting experience, there's Elizabeth's nomination of Emily's entry in the category: "Elevated risk of milk coming out my nose to Emily." Gah! A richness of pixie wordplay this week! Prizes for everyone!

Pixie condolences to kathy a. on the loss of your stepfather. I hope the family funeral extravaganza is the best that it can be.

And more condolences to KLee and her co-workers for the loss of a co-worker and the attendant group anxiety.

Hugs to Margalit on the loss of her Worthless (but much loved) Pet and her continuing medical uniqueness. Don't you feel special?

The cluestick posse has been detached to deal with the unreasonable medical billing person who is making kathy a. crazy. And probably a return visit is due to the therapist who made P_K's daughter worse. P_K is still dealing with the fallout, so why should the therapist be spared?

Join us in nearly no time at all, when Liz hosts the Election Week Extravaganza.

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*Most of it, anyway.