Black Doggerel

Every year I try to subtly discourage people from remembering my birthday; and every year there's a bunch of you who don't let me. I love you. Thank you so much!

This year I had fortuitously arranged to have Naamah Cat spayed on the day, so that I had to stay home to make sure she wasn't unstitching herself or having bad aftereffects from the anaesthetic. She came home, keeled over in the wardrobe and slept peacefully till the next morning, and the wound is looking good, two days later; a nice healthy pale pink with no swelling or bad shit. I don't imagine that spayedness will stop her from being the noisiest, most annoying cat I've ever met, but at least I won't be hearing that particular nerve-shredding caterwauling that was Naamah-in-heat again. I've never had to work so hard to suppress the urge to smother one of my own pets before.

And I has presents! Since my mother became a grandmother, she repossessed her camera that I'd had here on more or less permanent loan, so she could take endless baby pictures. I missed it like hell, so I persuaded my family to pool their resources this year and get me one of my own. It's a different model than the one I was used to and it came with a manual in French, so I haven't yet worked out how to get it to take pictures I'm not ashamed to show people. But it's mine, all mine, and I will work it out in time. I also got a new pair of sensible dog-walking shoes (just in time for autumn squirrel season, yay!) and two cases of imaginary evil vodka - this is, I've found, the best kind for serious drinking binges at my advanced age, and was appreciated more than you'll ever know.

Finally got my hands on Making Money, too. I'm inclined to agree with huntingdon to some extent. I did enjoy it, and wasn't exactly disappointed, because hey! Pratchett! But it did feel a bit like he'd given it less than his full attention; it was rather a disjointed read, and I do think he could have done it better.

And I got an email from Amazon this morning: the subject line was was Your Amazon.co.uk Order, and I bounced a little in my chair when I saw it - joy! It can be Red Seas Under Red Skies tiem nao??!!

The text of the email: We are sorry to report that the following items have been delayed:

Scott Lynch (Author) "Red Seas Under Red Skies (Gollancz S.F.)"
[Hardcover]
Estimated arrival date: 26/10/07 - 10/11/07

ARGH FUCKBASTARD TOSSPOT WANKMONKEYS. SEND ME MY FUCKING BOOK BEFORE I DIE OF OLD AGE.

AAAAAAAAHAAAAAA!!!! I has a silent, flat, BENDY keyboard. I am typing on it now. And it's BLUE. Did I mention it was BENDY? And silicon rubber? And blue??

( It looks like this! )

Thank you so very much, darling. I love you. Also, it arrived a few days after I randomly bought a gift for someone else, so think of yourself as an agent of karma.

It's blue. Did I say it was blue? And it's silent! and BENDY! It's possibly the coolest gadget I have ever owned.

*happydance*

cottonmanifesto - We has melatonin! And pretty, pretty moo cards! Spike is very grateful, or at least he will be next time there's thunder or fireworks, and I am grateful already. Thank you so much!

ambersaigh - thank you for the conversation that made me search out my copy of Gaudy Night. I wasn't sure I even currently owned one, but I wanted it so badly I cleared some of the pile of crap in the kitchen that's been sitting there depressing me for months, and found it there. I might even tackle the rest of it now. And - I hadn't forgotten how much I love Dorothy L. Sayers, or I wouldn't have been fangirling her at you, but I had forgotten how densely her writing is packed with both description and distraction. I have a feeling you'll love it.

Black Dog HQ smells lovely, thanks to bites_the_sun. Thank you ever so much.

Squish wanted to eat the incense sticks in the pretty leaf packet...