Was it something I cooked?

Jack started throwing up Monday night. The doctor asked him what he'd been eating lately. I suppose they were trying to rule out food poisoning.

He said, "Mom made Turkey Tetrazzini out of the leftover turkey from thanksgiving."

The true diagnosis was appendicitis. They performed an appendicectomy last night. He's fine and was able to go home to his father's house afterward.

Whew. My cooking's not poisonous after all.

Thanks for the memories

Thanksgiving weekend was quite nice this year. Here are a few of the memorable moments:

- The Corn Pudding Incident: I said: "Should I make corn pudding?" Others said, "No, there are plenty of side dishes already. No one will miss it." Ninety minutes later, Jack's girlfriend Sarah announces "Corn pudding is my favorite Thanksgiving dish."

- Acting Just Like Family: "I want more whipped cream," announced guest #1. "Get your own," said guest #2.

- Thank you Jesus: Daughter Hannah, who drove to Owensboro with boyfriend Nick, called in the middle of the day to say "Thank you for being so open-minded. I slept last night in a room with bible verses on the walls!"

- The Mashed Potato Manifesto: We found this hand-written note near the leftovers in the refrigerator, "Do NOT eat the mashed potatoes. Everyone knows they are MY favorite." And then we found the leftover mashed potato container in the sink -- empty. The question was: Which teenager wrote the note and which one ate the mashed potatoes?

- I Meant It In The Best Way: I actually offered cash to Eek's friend in exchange for her red cowboy boots. I admired the boots. Really. Was that rude?

Today's word is ...

... gobemouche (GAWB moosh)

Someone who believes any report or rumor, not matter how improbable.

Yep, this is my life at work these days. It's great fun, you ol' gobemouche you.

(Thanks Martha)!

Honey, I made the children weird

I found this photo when I was downloading some images from my camera.

What on earth are they doing here? Why? I'm not sure which I find scarier -- the mask or the blue hair.

Parenting advice now welcome.

The best birthday present

I got what I wanted for my election day birthday -- a new member of congress from Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District -- democrat John Yarmuth.

This photo makes him look very congressional, don't you think?

And while I was in an all-day meeting today I learned that Donald Rumsfeld resigned. Does that mean that my mother-in-law (if she would ever acknowledge that Babycakes is gay) has to find another name for her dog Rummy?

In-N-Out Burgers

When we weren't gambling, we were eating. Most days we found plenty of buffood (buffet+food=buffood) options.

But since Babycakes loved In-N-Out we ate there twice.

More from Las Vegas

We tried to visit several casinos each day, convinced that at the next one the odds might be a little bit better, or the drinks a little stronger. We tried slot machines, video poker and $2 Blackjack.

Did we win? Sure. Yeah. We won. A lot. Uh-huh. Really. We did. Seriously.

Tomorrow is my birthday ...

Actually, I never celebrate a birth DAY. I prefer to celebrate a birthday SEASON lasting for weeks, or sometimes months.

Maybe it's the egotistical Scorpio-ness that causes me to want to focus the spotlight a bit longer and brighter. Or my baby-boomer nature that believes that just by being born I helped change the world forever.

I have many, many needs but none of them require gifts. Your adoration will be sufficient.

Las Vegas post #1

What I learned on my first trip to Las Vegas:

When you put money in the pretty machine with all the lights it disappears and never comes back.