Still here. Still not queen.

If you've tried to reach me recently (or if you know people who have -- I'm looking at you, sal_sal), then you know just how disconnected I've been. Our phone service is still down, and DSL might -- might -- be up next week. Maybe. The saga of How Verizon Sucks is something you should hear from thomascantor, who's been dealing with them with much more grace than I would have had.

One major downside is that because of the disconnect, and because we don't watch much tv, I've only had a blurry idea of how horrible it's been in New Orleans. I think I'll try to give blood, though I may get turned away because of my time in England (yes, I ate beef over there during the BSE trouble, and I don't think they have a test for that yet). Like many others, I want to help, have little money to spare, and don't know how else to help. And I can't think of anything to say that doesn't sound glib and lame in the face of this horror.

In other, much less important news: ( Small things that have happened to me )

I'll be up in Maine this weekend, being a total geek. With any luck, I'll have scrawled on three chapters' worth of work and be able to plow through some more when I get back.