Last day

November 30th. Last day of NaBloPoMo. Honestly, it doesn't seem like I have blogged every day for 30 days, but son of a bitch-- I have! Sorry, if the content has been less than thrilling; being knocked on your ass for nearly two weeks with disease makes not for a happy or inspired writer. But I want to thank all of you who came by and especially those of you who took the time to comment. I try to not make my blogging about the traffic or the comments, but I do value that you take the time not only to read my thoughts, but to share your own.

I will try to be a bit more consistent in my efforts as we rush through this holiday season. I still owe Vicki a post about candles, so I guess if she promises to keep blogging more often than once every two months, I can give it to her! *smile*

Finally, to all the other bloggers who took on this challenge (even if you did miss one silly day...), congratulations! I love reading what you write, you make my day a bit brighter or more thoughtful or just more interesting. Good work!

It's 8:10 p.m.

I just got home from work. I am off to recline in a hot bath and sip a hotter cup of tea to warm my chilled, weary bones. In twelve hours, I have another parent/student interview. And that's all she wrote.

That sound you hear?

Is my husband saying " I told you so!"

Yes, I finally made my way to the doctor. I am now the proud recipient of 10 days worth of a perfectly vile tasting antibiotic pill and some nasal spray. You would think they could coat such a terrible tasting pill, but NOOOOOOO! And I am still feeling lousy, although I have worked the last two days. I am hoping that the antibiotic really kicks in tomorrow; we have report card interviews and I will be at school until 7 or 8.

I don't wear bracelets, but if Lolly had some healing necklace and earrings sets, I would be all over that!

How we did it

Yeah, I really just wanted to see the before and after in the same post. But for those of you *cough*Amanda*cough* who might want to know a few more details about how this first vanity became the second vanity, here ya go!

As I mentioned earlier, the vanity is one of those melamine monstrosities that turn up in so many apartments and townhouses. The previous owners had stenciled them with the leaves you can see in the first picture. Not bad, but really not our style. We took off the doors and sanded them first. Then we cleaned them with TSP, which is very toxic, so be sure to use gloves! Then we sanded again with finer grade sandpaper. Once the doors were smooth and clean, we attached moulding to the edges (Well, I should say...Grant attached it!) Then we primed the doors using a alkyd primer. We did the same to the side of the vanity.


The first coat of the paint was a creamy white melamine paint by CIL called Baker's White. You can use any oil-based paint, but this paint was very easy to use. We put on two coats of the cream base. Then I mixed one part of CIL's Huron Grey (also melamine paint) with 3 parts of glaze. We applied this with a brush and then wiped it off with a rag. The wiping leaves colour in the cracks of the moulding and leaves a slight streak on the flat surfaces. I think if you only want the colour on the moulding you would just paint that. This is the simplest kind of a patina finish. You can also use a dry brush technique to apply the second colour- that gives more of the effect of the paint wearing away. Then we reattached the doors and added new hardware.

We are quite pleased with the transformation. Grant isn't one hundred percent sold on the patina finish-- he thinks it makes the cabinet look dirty and he hates that he worked so hard to make the moulding fit and the patina shows all the cracks! But I am happy with the patina look and I love the mouldings. We have decided that we can do something similar in the kitchen, which will be an ENORMOUS undertaking. Still, we think we can save at least $1000 by going this route, so it will be well worth it.

New Bathroom

Cupboards. Formerly plain white melamine, now sporting molding and a patina finish.


Silver framed mirror to match all the new brushed silver fixtures. We decided to leave the other cabinet the way it was, but it may change.


Old artwork, new place.


Another view, including the new faucet and toilet roll holder. Please note roll goes over (I made Grant change it!)

Man, oh man

Lauren Bacall? Not so much. Try Marcel Marceau.

And Grant keeps saying "I told you to go to the doctor." I can't even argue with him BECAUSE I HAVE NO VOICE.

Bitch.

Updatey-ness

Cold: has moved to the chest. My Lauren Bacall imitation is coming along nicely.

Bathroom: we have primed and put the first coat on the vanity. Or I should say, Grant has primed and put the first coat on the vanity. Tomorrow we will do either another coat or will do the glaze. Then we will do the wall cabinet (depending on how the vanity turns out). Then pictures!!!

Weather: still cold. No more snow.

Television: watched lots of it. None of it really worth talking about (except Chuck. I *heart* Chuck.

What's Up Doc?

I've been sick since Tuesday afternoon. I am still sick. Predictably, my husband suggested last night that I should go see the doctor. My response, also predictable, was "Why?" All he will tell me is that I have a bad cold and need rest and liquids, two things I have already providing my poor diseased body. If I had a sore throat, I might see him to ensure it isn't strep, but I really don't have much of a sore throat. I don't have a fever, so it certainly isn't an infection. So, why should I go sit in a doctor's office and waste everyone's time?

This happens to me a lot. My colds tend to run about 5-7 days on average, starting with the scratchy throat, then the aches and pains,then the clogged sinuses, then the hacking cough, then the really disgusting day when everything is flowing out of various orifices. then I get better. Sometimes I luck out and the cold only sticks around for 2-3 days, but when I get really sick, the 5 day cycle is pretty much the course. But I think that our society believes that we should be able to shake an illness almost immediately. After all, we have all this medicine, why should anyone be sick for days? Too bad the common cold sneers at most attempts to medicate. The simple truth is, we don't allow ourselves the time we need to get truly better. There is too much pressure in this world for us to get up and go, to shake it off, to tough it out. Seriously, this is not a healthy thing.

I won't be going to the doctor. I will go into work today, but only for a few hours, to finalize some important reports that are on a deadline. Then back to bed and liquids and too much television.

Thanksgiving

I know you are all stuffing yourselves on this Thanksgiving Day (well, except for the Canadians). The photo above is from my Thanksgiving, over a month ago. Happy Turkey Day, everyone!

More bitching and moaning from the woman who brought you the last bitch and moan post

It's raining.
It's cold.
My throat hurts.
I have too much work to take a day off.
And the PVR is in the living room instead of the bedroom, which is where I want to be.

A day of note

First off, I want to wish my sister, Sally, a very happy birthday. I won't tell you her age, except to whisper that she is five years younger than I ("And always will be!" I hear her reminding me).

Sally, I hope you read this post, because I am stupid about saying stuff like this in person. For many years, you were just my baby sister. But you grew into a real sister and then, a real friend. You are an amazing woman, a great mom and someone I know understands me in a way nobody else can. I love you very much.

Now, save the rest of this entry for another day. Be happy and come back later.








Today is also a difficult anniversary. I don't usually bring this up on my sister's birthday, because she has enough of it from my parents, but today is the twentieth anniversary of my brother's death.

David will always be my kid brother and he will always be young to me. He was 26 when he died, but from my advanced age, I realize how very young 26 is. I will never get the chance to know the man that my brother would have become. I know we would have been good friends, because in many ways, we already were. I could totally count on my brother to share my passion for science fiction and fantasy, including a highly non-feminist, sex-laden series on a planet called Gor that we both found ourselves addicted to. He had a wicked sense of humour, a deadpan delivery and a sly smile that let you know that he got you good. He got me stoned once ( I do not get stoned, trust me) and laughed his ass off when I got called downstairs to help get dinner ready. I was mesmerized by the carrots I was slicing; he thought it was hilarious. He and my sister were attached at the hip pretty much from birth: we called them " The Littles" and she knew him better than anyone. He was an adorable red-headed little boy who grew into a gawky teen, then a more attractive young man. He was a classic geek that I think would have gotten even better looking in that geeky way as he got older. He loved Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. He was smarter than any of us. He had some problems with drugs and alcohol, but he was just starting to straighten out his life when he died (his death was not related to those things). He deserved to have so much more of life. And my sister and I deserved to grow old with him.

David, I miss you.

It's barely 6 pm...

and I feel like I should crawl into bed. You know when you can feel the sickness creeping up behind you and you suddenly realize there's nowhere to run? That happened this afternoon at work. Bleah.

Came home, drank tea (with a tiny bit of Jameson's in it) and ordered Hot and Sour soup from the local Chinese dive. I have work to do, but the computer is kindly refusing to load the program I need. I hate to head off to bed quite so early, so I will attempt to stay more or less vertical until at least 8. Well, maybe 7.

Purple Haze

So the purple paint I chose for the bathroom was just a bit too intense. It was exactly the colour on the paint chip, but the difference between a two inch square and a whole wall was HUGE. I think if it was a bluer purple, I would have been okay with it, but the majenta pink tones in this colour was just a bit much to imagine facing first thing in the morning. So we went back to the paint store. The problem is that the paint guys can darken a colour, but lightening it means buying at least a quart of white paint. We did. The white paint did lighten it, but not nearly as much as we had hoped. Still, we slapped the new paint on the walls and I am much happier with it. I noticed today at the store that they sell little tiny cans that you can use to test a colour with. I think next time, I will try that first. Much easier on the heart.

We also bought all the stuff we need to transform the cabinet, plus a new faucet, towel rack and mirror. So far, our expense has been about $400 for paint and all the other stuff. If we had decided to buy a new vanity instead, we would probably have spent at least $350 on that alone, so I definitely think we will come out ahead by getting creative.

Not exactly "Before" pictures, but these should give you an idea of the transformation. This is the purple we are keeping. Just imagine how intense the first one was!

The vanity we are transforming. Plus the beginnings of a first coat of purple. The shower curtain was the inspiration for the palette.

The other cabinet. We are simply painting this one.

The original mirror, now in the hall. You can't see the crack in the corner, but it's there.

Random

For those of you wondering: no, I never actually got fully plastered last night. I had three glasses of a nice Italian red with dinner and decided to cap it off with glass of Irish whiskey. I felt pleasantly buzzed, but never truly drunk.

I have been very productive already today. I went to the gym for Pilates, then I went to the hardware store to pick out my paints. I also bought a new faucet for the bathroom and a new towel rack. So far, the bathroom reno has cost a bit over $200. Next, I have to find a new mirror and start the cabinet part of the project. The mirror part will have to be soon--I am not sure how much longer I can deal with using the mirror in the hallway.

We have a few hours at home, and then G and I are riding a horse and carriage for the Santa Claus Parade. It's very cold outside, so I may need to bring along some of that Irish Whiskey for warmth. Hee.

Status Report

Bathroom: plastered.

Me: not quite plastered.

Tearing down the house

I was planning to take a picture of the bathroom before we began its transformation. Unfortunately, while I was at work today, my husband decided to tear off all the wallpaper and take down the slightly cracked mirror. This is relatively typical of him. Those of you who have met me and Grant would probably be surprised to hear that he is the impulsive one of the family, but it would be the truth. He's the guy who decides on major purchases in a heartbeat; he's the one who starts projects when I am still in the planning stages and he's the one who decided to make a pass at that girl on the Internets (that would be me...just in case you were concerned). So, I could take a picture now, but all you would see is walls and cabinets.

I think I have chosen the base colour. I have a shower curtain that I love, love , love in a muted garden pattern of mauve, green and taupe tones. I think the walls will reflect the mauve. I haven't completely decided if I am doing a plain paint or a faux finish, although I think it will stay plain. The cabinets will be ivory with an antique patina finish. We are replacing the mirror, the sink fixture and one of the towel racks. I may or may not try painting the counter.

But none of this is happening this weekend. We have the Christmas Tree Lighting at City Hall Friday night, the Santa Claus Parade on Saturday and we are seeing George Carlin on Sunday. Busy, busy, busy. So, we will have to manage for a week in a stripped down bathroom.

Damn. I just realized I am going to have to convince him to put the mirror back. I have no place to put on my makeup. Men just don't think these things through!

I CAN HAS.....VEGGIE BURGER?

Okay, this is totally cheating, but this is too good not to pass on to all my friends!

A while back, readers of Whatever, challenged John Scalzi that if they raised a certain amount of money, that he would have to visit the Creation Museum and provide his readers with a full report. They raised over $5,000 that John donated to Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Last week, John reported on his visit. Be sure to click on the photographic tour for the full experience.

But that's not all!

LOLCreashun is in yr internets making u beleiv!

Want has yr own religus sperience? submit yr own.

When you can't move...renovate!

So, we almost bought an apartment in a high-rise condominium. We made an excellent offer but were beaten out by another buyer who didn't have to unload an existing dwelling as part of the deal. The condo was pretty much exactly what we wanted, about 1300 sq. feet with a wrap-around balcony. It was light and airy and had a great view of our new downtown theatre. So, some sadness. But not quite as much as you might expect. We made the offer before finding out from our loan officer exactly how much our monthly payments would have been. I'm not saying we couldn't afford another $1,000 a month of payments and maintenance charges, but it would have been a bit of a lifestyle change for us.

Anyway, the upshot of all this, is that we have decided to spend our money on upgrading our current townhouse. We are putting in hardwood floors first, which is most likely going to be the major expense. By all rights, the kitchen should be the most expensive part, but we are seriously considering painting our existing melamine cabinets with a faux finish. We are going to practice on the bathroom cabinet to make sure it's not too labour intensive. (Trust me, when I say that I have learned it is occasionally better to spend money on a project that would otherwise lead to marital conflict.) Then we will use ceramic tile for the counters and backsplash instead of Corian or the like. I actually prefer ceramic and have some beautiful Talavera tiles to accent with, so both cheaper and prettier.

Those two projects (or three if you count the cabinets and tiles as two) will complete the main floor. Then we will start on the extra bedrooms and the basement. But that is a post for another day.

In which I am bad

Stayed home from work today, because I felt like crap. That's not the bad; I believe that sick days were given to us for a higher purpose. Like sleeping and watching DVDs. Still feeling a bit lousy, so this will be short.

Today I reveal the "real" Allison who attended the Remembrance Day ceremony. Sure, I got the requisite tears in my eyes, but there were a couple of less then reverential moments. At one point, the pastor spoke about the Lord and his voice ringing out. A dog barked in the City Hall atrium area, echoing loudly. I cracked a smile. C'mon...God? Dog? It was hilarious. But the moment that is totally sending me to hell happened a bit later. A small boy was playing on the steps we were standing on and took a wee tumble. Immediately afterwards, the pastor asked us to "remember those who have fallen."

I giggled. Out loud. I am a very bad person.

Remember

It's interesting being an American in Canada on Remembrance Day. It's such an entirely different experience than being in the U.S. First off, the States doesn't have Remembrance Day (or Armistice Day, as those of you across the pond call it). We have Veterans Day, which is observed on the same day, but unless you actually are a veteran or the family of one, this day is largely ignored. We also have Memorial Day in May, which was originally Decoration Day commemorating the veterans of the Confederacy and now is mainly the last day of a three-day holiday. When I was in elementary school, we recognized many holidays; Columbus Day, Washington's and Lincoln's birthdays and of course, all the "big" holidays, but I can't remember any kind of acknowledgement of either Veterans or Memorial Day. Many people blame that kind of oversight to the disenchantment of the U.S with the Vietnam War, but the bitterness over that conflict really didn't start until the late 60's. I was in high school when the most serious of the protests occurred. But even before Vietnam, Veterans Day and Memorial Day were just not that important.

Compare that with Canada. Remembrance Day is a big deal. Every school I have taught at has a special assembly with students speaking and honouring those who served and those who gave their lives. We make wreaths to honour the dead. We stand silently for two minutes and listen reverently to the notes of "The Last Post". On Friday, over 600 middle school students sat without a sound for nearly an hour, understanding the solemnity of the occasion. Trust me when I tell you: that is remarkable.

Today I attended the ceremony at the cenotaph at City Hall. The crowd was a mix of young and old and several hundred strong, all wearing red poppies on their coat lapels. I got tears in my eyes as the parade of present Armed Forces personnel marched down Main Street along with veterans. I thought of my father, who served in World War II and my stepson, currently serving in the Canadian Navy. I am proud of them both and of the others who defend Canada and the U.S.

This day is not about honouring war. It is about honouring those who fought for their countries. Some conflicts are not easy to support, but the young men and women who are fighting them are not the ones making the decisions. They are simply doing the best they can. They are (and were) very young. They make mistakes and some may not have met the high expectations we have of our armed forces. But, I think the majority of them have. And, if you haven't already, why not take two minutes to remember their sacrifices.

What the...?

I am currently wearing a sweater with a pashmina wrapped around my shoulders, an afghan (blanket, not dog) around my legs and my laptop on my lap, the heat has been turned on and I am STILL FREEZING!!!

Of course, in about an hour, I will be roasting. I've heard of hot flashes, but cold flashes are an entirely new experience.

In other news...

A Allison! An Allison! My kingdom for an Allison!

Which work of Shakespeare was the original quote from?

Get your own quotes:

And it only took me three tries to get it! Thanks for the link, Mindi.

Mortality

My dog is 15 years old. She moves a lot slower then she once did, is pretty much deaf and sleeps nearly all day long. Nearly every time my husband and I see her sleeping like one dead, we check carefully for breathing. There have been a couple of times that I have touched her or called her name and she has simply not moved. I think "She's gone." for a heart-stopping instant and then she takes a breath or starts awake and all is normal again. It's not like we have any reason to assume she will die any time soon...but 15 is not a youthful dog. According to this chart, Lucy is nearly 85 years of age in human years.

My dad just turned 85. My mother will be 85 in May. I don't find myself as aware of their ages as I am of my dog's, perhaps because I only see them about once a year. Still, my equivalent of "checking the breathing" occurs every time the phone rings in the middle of the night. For just a moment, the world stands still. I imagine the worst scenario. For that frozen moment, I hold on to the world I know, knowing that when I pick up the phone, my world may be irrevocably changed.

Every day I practice preparing for loss with my beloved dog and by extension, my beloved parents. But in my heart, I know I can never prepare. All I can do is treasure each moment we have together. So, I am going home for Christmas. San Francisco, not Tucson. I want to be with my family, in our family home, with all our furniture, traditions and all the familiar baggage. I only wish the dog could be there, too.

And you wonder why I obsess about my weight?

I know. It's my own fault for watching these stupid "reality" tv shows. I should be reading "War and Peace" or organizing my bookshelves or writing the Next Great Canadian novel. I could even work on a fabulous lesson plan for my students. But no. I allow myself to be sucked in the world of Tyra Banks--where, despite all of her "championing" of real girls with real bodies--an absolutely stunning woman is made to question her own worth because she is not model-sized or plus-sized. She is normal-sized.

Check out her photos.

Sarah has no place in the fashion industry because----GASP!-she has a real body. A real body that is still probably at least 20 pounds less than an average woman. Now, she gets to leave the show with her self-image completely destroyed. Fuck you, Tyra Banks.




Yeah, I'll keep watching. Addictions aren't that easy to break. But I promise lots of self-loathing. In solidarity with Sarah.

Yeah baby!

I totally rocked dinner tonight. I made stuffed chicken breasts with red onion and red bell pepper and parmesan, oven-cooked broccoli with kosher salt and garlic and Lebanese rice (browned with capellini noodles prior to cooking, then cooked in chicken broth). It was the yummy. So was the wine, a Pinot Noir from Flat Rock.

You all wanted to be at my house tonight.

The brighter side of life

Well, yeah. Sorry about the bitch-fest of yesterday. Ms. Grumpy Cranky Pants has left the building after I pointed out to her that she was not suffering from morning sickness or dealing with excrutiating physical therapy or suffering from caffeine deprivation. Her car didn't freeze either.

So, we are steadfastly looking at the sunny side of life today. Let's just pretend we didn't have one of "those" days at the middle school we work at and think of the happy stuff.

I worked out today. Only the second time since I re-injured my back (and that is a story for another day...stoopid back) and we are being very careful. But I felt like it was a real workout. I wonder what the Bionic Woman does when her back goes out on her. I mean, her back is bionic, so it must tweak from time to time.

So the writers in Hollywood are on strike. This sucks on several different levels, mostly because two of my favourite, incredibly talented writers that have many great stories to tell are unable to sell their scripts and make obscene amounts of money. But...we are looking at the silver lining in this dark cloud and I realized that no new television means a wonderful opportunity. Now, most of you, much like my personal trainer, might think that I am anticipating some "special time" with the man I love. You would be mistaken. What I realized was that we now have a chance to catch up on all the shows we never got around to watching by renting them ad infinitum on DVD. Oh yes, Friday Night Lights, I'm looking at you!

Finally, I got the new Coldwater Creek catalogue and there are so many pretty things to put on my Christmas list. Plus I am bidding on a fabulous new dress on eBay that would set me back $240 dollars if I bought it at Nordstrom. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Bitch 'n Moan

Meh. It's rainy outside and the temperature is supposed to drop to nearly freezing tonight. Everything feels grey and morose. I am cold. I am bored. And my ass is huge. Every time I try to write something interesting, it ends up as crap. My back hurts. I couldn't get to sleep last night because of the time change. I forgot to buy water at the store. And I can't find that bad mystery smell coming from my refrigerator. That's all you are going to get today. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Last night

I met a princess. Her Imperial Highness, Thi Nga, a princess of the Nguyen Dynasty of Vietnam. It's funny, I suppose I should have realized that at one point or another, Vietnam was something other than a French colony and a Communist nation, but I never thought about a deposed Imperial family.

Said princess now resides in Miami Beach, New York and Paris. She visited our city for the world premiere of a musical theme written by our symphony maestro and dedicated to her foundation for refugees. My husband and I met her prior to the performance; she was very gracious, but honestly, what does one say to a member of an Imperial family, deposed or not?

More importantly, my new dress was fabulous.

As for the all important results of the Volcano Lava Death Watch, I have disappointing news. Oh yes, people died, but not a single death by lava flow. Sure, there was death by quicksand and death by impalement, and by the end of the movie, our intrepid band of now-reformed prisoners were forced to abandon poor Spencer Tracy when he was stranded on the other side of a collapsed bridge. But good old Frank, despite having redeemed himself and gotten Father Spencer to marry him and Blind Island Girl, chose to put the refugees on a boat and return to the collapsed bridge. Was his motive to attempt to rescue the old guy? Nope. Apparently he just decided to come and hang out until the island exploded in a fiery ball. I guess that one night in the cave with Blind Island Girl was not all that.

Hollywood Cheese

Saturday mornings is obscure Hollywood movie time at my house. Grant always manages to find some Western I have never heard of to watch. I enjoy making snide remarks about everything from the costumes, makeup and "special" effects. Today, we aren't watching a Western. Instead, I am being treated to the classic Island Volcano Erupting plotline. The only question is: will the boozy priest who has lost his faith (Spencer Tracy) or the street-wise guy on his way to prison who fell for the blind island girl (Frank Sinatra) be the one to die horribly in the lava flow?

Stay tuned.

Nicknames

Let's start with a quick shout-out to the other Alyson who visited yesterday. She got me remembering why I named this blog "Allison_Wonderland" and I thought that I might share it with you.

I am Allison. Allison; not Ally or Allie or Aly. My family and a few select friends called me "Al" (and you may do so, particularly if I call you bettie), but I generally prefer my full name and did, even as a child. I had a few other nicknames that I tolerated: Alley Cat and Alan Pencil were two given to me by some very staunch friends. The first was a bit too cutesy for me, but I adored the twins who christened me with it.The other was my "Major League Baseball" name. Yes, I pretended to be a ball player at one time in my life. Not that I was even a bit good at the game, but it was fun. Plus, my very own nickname!

One name I definitely would not answer to is Alice. EVER. I don't know if other Allisons (or Alysons or Alisons or however you might spell it) feel about "Alice", but I hated it. No, I loathed it. When I was growing up, Allison was not a particularly common name. It enjoyed a brief spurt of popularity in the 80s and 90s, which often caused me to turn around when a frazzled young mother called out my name. But when I was younger--not so much. So, people often tried to call me Alice, instead. Ick. It wasn't that I really loved my own name--quite the contrary.I longed to be Cassandra or Alexandra or Josephine, anything but Allison. Except Alice. Alice particularly rubbed me the wrong way.

I was not terribly popular as a child, and kids quickly picked up on my hatred of Alice, so of course, they nicknamed me "Alice in Wonderland". At the time, it drove me crazy, but as I grew older, I started to appreciate the pun. "Allison Wonderland" actually is pretty advanced language usage for a third-grader. Or at least, that's what I tell myself now. So, when I started this blog, it seemed appropriate to co-opt my hated childhood nickname and make it my own. It only took me 40 years.

But I still hate being called Alice.

Happy November 1st!

And why would my decided lack of bloggage possibly interfere with participating in NaBloPoMo? It's not like I don't have a million ideas for things to write about. It's not like I don't spend hours at home on the Internets. It's not like I didn't manage to achieve the goal last year.

I really can do this. And I promise at least some decent content. No, really. Possibly not starting today, but let's just type and see what happens.

So far the things I failed to blog about in October were:

Almost buying a new condo
Throwing out my back
All the television I have been watching
Chicken Thai Sausage and the A&P
Too much Halloween candy
The failure of my stupid scale to record my attempts at fitness
Candle-making projects galore

So, if you would like to weigh in on a topic that particularly interests you, please do so before this time tomorrow. Assuming that anyone is still out there...