Thanks for the many kind notes regarding yesterday�s post. I am petrified and exhilarated, in turns, at the prospect of finishing. The schedule is rough and I have a couple of weeks to figure out if it�s actually feasible. It means I have to polish off a chapter a week, more or less, while at the same time apply for jobs, finish my conference paper, take a couple of exams, etc., not to mention take care of AJ. But I so want it to work. I hope it will work.

Today, however, I did not put my nose to the grindstone. A day spent slogging around in the rain yesterday gave my cold a turn for the worse, so I laid fairly low. I did take AJ shopping for a Halloween costume this morning. He had originally thought of being a ghost, but then decided he wanted to be a skeleton. Since a skeleton costume was clearly beyond my novice sewing skills, we went to a costume shop. AJ was a little freaked out by the d�cor, particularly the objects that made noise when you passed. He was unusually silent and big-eyed as we walked around the shop. Unfortunately, there were no skeleton costumes in his size. Instead he selected a fireman�s outfit and a treat basket shaped like Spiderman�s head. He was most excited about Spiderman, but once he actually tried on his costume at home, he was very excited. The costumes been on and off him at least 5 times this afternoon.

I took a much-needed nap when AJ did this afternoon. We both slept too long to make it to the screening of the new Wallace and Gromit film we were hoping to see today, so instead we went outside, raked leaves into a big pile and jumped in them over and over again.

This evening I will be doing penance for my earlier sloth and, since I think coherent writing may be beyond my cold-addled brain, will start researching the schools to which I intend to apply. Harriet�s rule #86: When you�re feeling insecure, make a spreadsheet.

And in a total non sequitur, this story totally cracked me up. If there is substance that sounds less violent than a tofu cream pie, I would like to know what it is. Far superior to the fake blood PETA usually prefers.

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