Today I listened to a lot of Stuff You Missed In History Class. 

To make a long story short, this exists, and it comes from a place of kindness and curiosity. 

Unrelated: I just started reading Brainwashing by Kathleen Taylor. It's all scientific and stuff. 

Too rainy for a lunch walk. 

Setting reminders for myself to do things tonight. 

The Punch Brothers' new album is really good. 

Operation Get Ted To Celebrate Responsibly and Happily With His Community was a huge success. 

Shelle & Houser let us tag along with them and Captain America. Ted stayed on the sidewalk with other costumed adults while the kids did the candy ritual. 

We sang "Grim Grinning Ghosts" and "Headless Man" while we walked. A few people recognized him from The Media Theater, and greeted him kindly, which made me really happy. It was also surprising, considering Ted's heavy disguise, 

The boys got tired and it was time for ghosts and heroes to call it a night. I asked Captain America if he wanted a hug or to slap me five, and he didn't answer, so I held out my palm and he slapped me five. 

As I turned away, I heard a tiny voice say, "I want a hug." 

Oh, the creaking down on one knee hurt, but the heroic hug was gold. 

​

He's getting settled in awful quick. 

Not that it was easy. The minute we pulled out of the parking lot, he took a dump in the carrier.  He carefully turned around, folded his towel over the evidence, and meowed the whole way home. 

If one of us is in the room with him, he's snuggly and purrs a lot. If we're both in there with him, he's curious and playful. 

Squeaky busted in at one point. She headed straight for the food bowl. We told her not to touch it. Squeaky looked at us like, "oh, this bowl? This one right here?"

The cat waited, sniffed Squeaky's back legs, waited for Squeaky to look at him, and then EXPLODED into a whirlwind of claws and snarling. Squeaky ran toward the door. The cat hopped onto the chair, and back onto Squeaky, who cringed and whimpered in the corner. The cat circled around to block the door. We threw a blanket over the cat, and hustled the dog out the door. She refused to leave the room until Vince went into the hallway with her. 

"I haven't bitch-slapped a dog in a long time, but that doesn't mean I forget how." 

Anyway. It's going to be hard to get these two to peacefully co-exist, but this guy's so snuggly it's worth it. 

Also bitey. Very very bitey. 

P.S.: Jury's still out on the name. His personality suggests Thrym, King of Jotunheim, but Vince wants to name him Turd Ferguson. 

He says he looks like a Mr. Ferguson. Fergus would be a good name for him, but I think we're going to wait and see what name sticks. 

Looks like we're getting a new housemate tomorrow. 

He's bitey, spunky, and fun. We filed the paperwork a couple weeks ago, and finally, tomorrow, we can pick him up. 

This means two weeks of Cat Introduction. Hope he likes us. 

We stopped by the Northeast Philly PAWS building today, so Mo could get her annual vaccines, and we could do the final paperwork. It's a beautiful shelter, lots of windows in the adoption rooms, very clean, lots of cat perches. I took Mo out of her crate and held her to walk around. She purred a lot, and sniffed at a friendly orange & white boy named Rubio, who was quite enamored of her. But we're committed to this stripey boy. 

We're planning to name him Thrym, The King of Jotunheim, although a close second was Benedict Thundercat. 

Too many emails from Hillary Clinton. I swear to God, she's stalking me. 

Last week I noticed my paper journal was missing. I looked for it, but couldn't find it. Not in my purse, not in the messy tote bag I take to work (another story), not in the car, not in my bedroom, not any of the rooms in the house. Not here or there or anywhere. 

I chose not to panic, though I could have left it at work. This would be bad, because I have ranted about my lazy co-worker in said journal. I looked at work. Nope. 

I continued to choose not to panic. 

On Friday afternoon, my phone rang. It was Ted. 

"Were you at Steel City Coffee in Phoenixville last week?" 

"Yes, why?"

"They have your journal. You should go pick it up." 

Fortunately, at some point, I had written Ted's cell phone number in my journal. 

I picked it up today, breathless, embarrassed, and grateful. 

As I walked out, past the itinerant teenagers, I thought, 

Aaaaaannnd... SCENE. 

Yes, sir, that's my baby! Jarnsaxa Rising is LAUNCHED. 

Episode 1: Two Witch Trials

Episode 2: The Hungry Place

It's available on iTunes, if you use Apple's Podcast app. if you use the desktop browser, it doesn't show up. Android users can find it on Pocket Casts. 

or, if you really want the RSS feed, just ask. 

And now... I'm done wrassling with Libsyn for the night. Enjoy, please. 

Writing letters from characters to supporters is harder, but more interesting and fun than I expected.  

Jarnsaxa Rising's teaser clip is now available in iTunes. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/jarnsaxa-rising/id1041736696

we got 40 downloads TODAY. 

I'm flabbergasted with excitement.