love, actually

Rob and Kelly's party last night was wonderful. They are a lovely couple that we've met through KC and Jen and they have joined our circle of fun.

It was the first time for many of us at their house. It's a townhouse up in Everett that they've gorgeously perfected themselves. It was a potluck of sorts, with Kelly making, for the first time apparently, chicken cordon bleu and pumpkin cheesecake. I brought garlic mashed potatoes and Jeanne brought green beans. It always amazes me when an uncoordinated potluck works out so perfectly. Kelly is an amazing chef. Both his chicken and cheesecake were to die for. I was worried that I had oversalted, overgarlicked my potatoes but everyone said really nice things about them and you know how you want to be modest so you just smile and say thanks, but inside you're doing a little booty dance. That was me.

The appetizers were fucking yay. Ellie made crab and artichoke dip. Jen brought a 9 layer dip that was drool worthy. Kim brought shrimp cocktail and I fed all my revolting tails to Judy, because she likes to horrify me. And Judy made her infamous spinach balls.

We were all actively in pain, lolling around on the ground afterwards and yet still managed to have dessert. This is such a lovely group of people. There was drunken shrieking, but also fun talk about movies and politics and books. It was the best kind of evening.

This is going to sound ultrasappy, but when I hang out with them, and I'm sitting there a little tipsy, comfortably full, I just look around and kind of beam at them all. I can't believe I am so lucky to be part of a group of such amazing people --who are so nice it's almost SURREAL.

It is very yay.

And though last night I thought I would never require food again of any kind, my frosted mini wheats are calling to me. Mmmm. Cereal.

not surprising, really

The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Seventh Level of Hell!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	Very Low
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	Moderate
Level 2 (Lustful)	Very High
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	High
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Low
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	High
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	High
Level 7 (Violent)	Very High
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	High
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Moderate

Take the Dante's Inferno Test

[stolen from sarampls]

(no subject)

It's cold and I have a headache. I woke up with a headache and while I beat it back briefly, it seems to be here to stay. I'm going to bed early. I usually can't sleep without a book, but I don't know if more eye-strain is the wisest move. Hrm. BUT, I am in the middle of The Subtle Knife.

It's taken me nearly five thousand years to pick up this second book of Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, and it's very good. I hear the first and third books are the best, but I'm enjoying this one just fine. Incomprehensibly, I picture 15 year old Sarah in my mind as the precocious Lyra. This gives me more amusement than can possibly be expressed in mere words. The only thing I have to do before I go to sleep is put away the laundry I unceremoniously dumped onto my bed earlier. In spite of a day-long, hellacious headache, I managed to clean the kitchen, living room, and bedroom. I did two loads of dishes and one load of laundry. I did the soft-copy edit of the manual I'd ignored all weekend and I'm nearly finished with the tiny rainbow scarf I've knitted for brabble's teddy bear, Roger. It was supposed to be a surprise, but I'm too excitable to surprise people and blurted it out the minute I next saw Sarah and ran at her, merrily waving it in her face. It was supposed to be a Christmas present for Roger, but holding a secret like this for 2 days is beyond my ability, let alone 2 months. Maybe I'll finish that tonight. Knitting a scar for a bear is much faster than for a cousin.