I got my magnifying glass today. It�s very exciting. It lights up. It came with its own genuine naugahyde case the size of a pack of index cards. Best of all, it came with a catalog from the company I ordered it from: Techni-Tool. The catalog is emblazoned with the legend, �Tomorrow�s Products Shipped Today,� worthy of one of those Cold War era pro-technology films we used to sleep through in elementary school.

The collection of stuff in this catalog is fascinating to me. The first product listed is an oscilloscope. For a mere $17,231, it could be yours. If that doesn�t fit your budget you could try ordering an office chair. Or a set of hex wrenches. Or a soldering iron. You could outfit your own factory from this catalog.

My friend H. is coming over for a little slumber party tonight. After AJ goes to bed we�ll be painting our toenails and watching videos of Lost in Translation and old episodes of Sex and the City (neither of us has HBO). I�m looking forward to a nice girlie night in, especially since the wintry weather is definitely encouraging my cocooning instinct. Lemon and asparagus risotto�s on the menu for dinner. Yum.

0 people said it like they meant it