The awesome thing about going out to breakfast in Vermont is the little butter packets are Cabot and the syrup came from trees. Always, with the syrup anyway (I read recently that IHOP opened their first store in Vermont and they got special permission from corporate HQ to serve real syrup, because it is Vermont and you can't not have real syrup).

Also, I spent the past three days in allergy hell. I used my inhaler every six hours, and I took three of allergy pills a day. MISERABLE.

But there was more than allergy hell, there were organic unsprayed apples picked off the trees and turned into apple crisp and apple sauce. There was good company and happy dogs. There were freshly dug potatoes turned into potato pancakes (to go with the apple sauce). And my parents' place in Vermont is extremely beautiful.

  _

Two days after the allergy pills disappeared and were repurchased, I dumped out my hamper to sort laundry and heard the sound of a pill bottle. And there they were. Oh, well, I guess I now have a 180 day supply of allergy pills. _

One of my roommates came home with a secret high tech device that he's been working on programs for, they have finally released hardware to the software developers, and he handed it to me to play with, and then asked me a series of questions. Which enforced the lesson that I am probably not really meant to be a beta tester for things I don't know how to talk about. And also, I'm not entirely sold on the tablet computer idea. I am surrounded by computers all the time, and I have a smart phone and an iPod and a Kindle. Why do I need a mini computer to add into that middle time? _

I am wearing my knit va-va-voom skirt today, and a woman on the street asked me (at a stoplight while we waited to cross) if I had made my skirt, and then she said "You must be a very good knitter!" And I laughed, and just said "Yes, I am." Because, while I'm generally not braggy, I am a good knitter, and I'm not about to start spouting false modesty just because. Anyway, it was a great way to start my morning, which was shortly followed by iced mocha and granola and yogurt at a cafe that looks like the conservetory in Miss Rumphius. And I have a muffin, to deal with the fact that my office is closing at 1 and therefore no one actually takes lunch breaks.

And then, I will go home and my new roommate and I will figure out the most efficient way to store things in our kitchen. Because the current system of "Tori's stuff is whereever she could fit it around the old messy roommate's stuff" doesn't really work. _

I bought a bottle of 90 allergy pills last week, and now I have managed to completely lose it. I thought it was in my purse, it's not. I thought maybe I thought "this is going to open up in my purse and I'll spill pills everywhere, I must have put it in my desk" but it's not in my desk.

Meanwhile, it's apparently ragweed season and I have no allergy pills. Fuck. _

This morning, I woke to the sound of my roommates in the kitchen (which is generally unusual, but it was fine) and together the three of us cleaned up the kitchen. The guy who's been living here for a couple of years graciously went through the fridge and threw away all the old food and beverages left behind by the guy who moved out (I was going to do it on trash night, but given how much space there now is in my fridge, and someone else did it, so whatever) while the new roommate and I went through cabinets and threw out other expired products, and put newfound tupperware in the dishwasher. We replaced lightbulbs and she took soap, vinegar, and finally goo gone to the covers to the lights. Sam was a little unnerved, as he always is by major changes in his surroundings (I think he is always a little nervous that he's going to be left behind), but oh, I am so happy in my kitchen now. He, the roommate who has been here, is trying to fix the broken drawer that has been broken for years but the landlord has basically ignored. I feel so accomplished.

And now I am sitting in my house, having made my bed using my newly learned hospital corners, and walked Sam around the block wondering what I'm going to do with the rest of my Saturday. I might continue to curl up in front of my TV with the sweater I abandoned last summer and Battlestar Galactica. _

Last night, I curled up with my new lace cardigan and watched another episode of Foyle's War. And there was David Tennant! And Sophia Myles. But David Tennant! I have to remind myself that just about every British actor has been on it. _

Living far enough away from the parts of the country that get totally battered by hurricanes, but still getting large thunder and rain storms, I really enjoy hurricanes. I always feel a little guilty about it, because I know that there are places where hurricanes mean serious danger. But, looking at a map of Hurricane Earl's projected path, I can't help but go "looks like we might get a giant thunderstorm out of it this weekend! Yay!" _

Birthday card drama solved. I sent my dad a text thanking him for the card (it seemed that it was on the same level as the card) and got a reply saying "your gifts will be there on your birthday." So I imagine the card was insurance, in case delivery is delayed a day. This is good, I had been crying over this, trying to figure out what went wrong that that was what we got for our birthdays, now, an impersonal card. _

Sam is the happiest dog in the world. He's perfectly content to be home alone, but when I come home from work OMG SO EXCITED TO SEE ME! He's so sweet and enthusiastic I just have to grin. I feel like Sam's world is in all caps, and it always starts with OMG. OMG BREAKFAST. OMG TOY. OMG TORI IS PUTTING ON PANTS. OMG HOME FROM WORK. OMG BEDTIME. Nevermind mundanity, everything is new and exciting. So, work is dull, but that's okay because when I get home Sam will be so excited he falls over (when he's excited, he tries to stand on on his back legs and jump and he falls on his back. Brianne and I used to call this "backflips). _

Last year, I missed my stepmom's birthday. Like, completely. I realized it the next day, and she wouldn't take my phone calls to try to wish her a belated birthday. And my dad sent us (my sister and brother missed her birthday too) a reprimanding note saying something about how disappointed in us he was. I'm wondering if this is some sort of punishment. But it was last year. This year, we all called, sent cards, and gifts.  My card got there two weeks late, but that is because it spent three weeks with the USPS, and they know something was funny with it because the stamps weren't cancelled. I am so baffled. Jamie and I have been trying to figure out if there's something else coming.

I mean, my gramma sent me an email this afternoon reminding me that I'd moved recently and had forgotten to give her my address, and could I sent it to her please, so she could send me a card. Her card will come with a typed up note about the weather in Arizona and golf and how my cousins are doing, because that is what we get for our birthday from my grandma (sometimes there is also a check.) But there will be a note. Geez. I'm turning 30. That's one of those big birthdays that deserves at least a handwritten line from your father in your birthday card. (My mom is going to help fund my skydiving adventure.) _

Today I got a birthday card from my dad and my stepmom. My birthday's next week, they usually try to send them early, so that makes sense. But it's a nothing card. It's a silly Hallmark joke card that's not funny that's just signed. It doesn't even have a little birthday card note like "dear T, have a great year/decade/whatever." Just signed with their names. It's the least personal card ever. I feel a little hurt. My sister got the exact same thing (well, different lame joke card). Neither one of us knows what we're supposed to do. Are we supposed to call and say thanks for the card? It's so weird!

(And, here's to hoping that my dad/stepmom don't know about my blog.) _

People who have watched Battlestar: if I hadn't watched Dollhouse, would I like Helo? I find him dull. And his jaw still bothers me. _

It has just struck me as funny that this morning, in an email conversation about L'Engle novels, I wrote "is that the one with dophins, where her grandfather dies and Zach is an ass" as though any book with Zach couldn't be described as "and Zach was an ass." _

My umbrella seems to work at keeping my head dry and not the rest of me, at least on rainy days like today. The past few days have been the sorts of days where you just want to curl up in your house, with hot chocolate or hot tea and freshly baked cookies and soup. One of my coworkers came in today looking as though she had swum to work. Someone found her a space heater to help her dry herself off, she was ready to go off to the Gap to buy something new to work. I want to go home, stopping at the grocery store for some sort of baking-chips (I am thinking toffee chips) and bread and soup supplies. And going back to Foyle's War or Battlestar Galactica and Princess Sofya. _

So funny.

There are others that would work too, like "don't piss off the sea god before taking a two week sailing trip." But I always liked Penelope. _

Last night, in a fit of trying to make my living room look more inhabitable, I tore down the bizare lace goth curtains that some former roommate had put up. My future roommate and I had already discussed them, they just make the room dark without being proper curtains, and they were pretty hideous. I also started to take down the Christmas tree lights that had been purchased at a dollar store and strung up ineptly. But then I got sick of standing on things, and stopped. Still, it is an improvement. When the hideous couches are gotten rid of, it won't look anything like a broke college student's apartment. (I have said it feels kind of like a frat house, but I have never actaully been to a frat house, so I don't actually know.) The roommate with the guitars and tee shirts strewn across the dining room and living room is mostly moved out. _

I have always believed that it's impossible to oversweeten coffee, but I think that's because I always used sugar to mask bad coffee. I oversweetened my good coffee this morning, and it was totally disappointing. _

Dear Science Fiction TV/Movies:

You do realize that if you send your heroic pilot through a tunnel to blow up the enemy base there is almost no way you will avoid Star Wars mental associations. Right? Which is not to say that Lee Adama's not awesome, but...really? _

In the last year's season of Mad Men, with the impending Draper divorce, I was worried that there would be less Betty. I am fascinated by Betty. (And Joan. I love Joan.) And, it seems, my fears were grounded as there have now been two episodes with no Betty at all. At least Joan has more to do this season than last. Now, if her ass husband would just go to Vietnam and be killed already... _