Blogger Down

Hrm, it appears that Blogger is down this morning, but such is my ingrained morning routine that I can't really conceive of starting a day at work without writing a blog post. Email posting it is, and I apologize if the formatting is completely out of whack or it takes forever to get posted.

I wound up adapting a persimmon applesauce recipe and serving it over my chicken. The apples mushed, but the persimmons held together, so if I was actually making applesauce, I'd have to puree it, I think. The kids liked the persimmons but didn't like the applesauce part -- I think I put in a smidge too much lemon juice for their tastes. (I like very sour applesauce. I tried to go easy on it for them, but I guess next time I'll just use the cider and leave out the lemon juice until I've sorted out their portion.) Anyway, it was a qualified success, so now I know what I can do with the rest of the persimmons, if Matt doesn't eat them. (They went well with the apples, but I still don't like them raw. They taste just a little too much like cantaloupe.)

Sleep score: I had a spider dream last night (yes, thank you, subconscious, for that fascinating insight) that woke me up on a shriek (sorry about that, Matt) around 3am, and then Penny had a nightmare at 5:45, which was just close enough to morning that I couldn't get all the way back to sleep. Decaf just might not do it, today.

Stuff on my plate right now:
- Matt gently nudged me to get a crowbar and pry the built-up mail out of my slot in our desk, so I've got... *gets a ruler* ...a three-inch-tall stack of mail to sort through.
- Three code reviews to do paperwork for at work.
- Three new projects to do contract start-up paperwork for at work.
- A novel to edit for my publisher. (Not one that I wrote. This is that editing job I mentioned a while back.)
- At least three stories of varying length and complexity (not so) politely waiting their turns to be written.
- A stack of publicity leaflets I need to take to the post office to be sent to my publisher so they can take them to cons.
- Penny wants me to finish putting up the Hallowe'en decorations. The ones we've got now are apparently not scary enough for her.
- Need to print directions to Matt's office picnic. That's tonight, so I really ought to move that item higher up on the priority list.
- I haven't done a post over on my writing blog for quite a while, so I should really get around to that soon.
- Need to take Penny shopping to get a birthday present for Jess. Though Jess's party is late enough on Saturday that we can go get the present Saturday morning.

At least I don't have any obligations for lunchtime today -- no gym, no allergy shot. I might do that run to the post office, but that's not too much of a hardship, since they've got a nice automated kiosk right in the front. And they're across the street from Trader Joe's, so I might swing by there and see if they've got any good apples. I've been on a real apples-and-cheese kick lately. Or if I stay at the office, I can leave early! Mmmm, leaving early...

And as mentioned, Matt's company picnic is tonight, which will either be fun or miserable, depending almost entirely on the weather. But at least if the weather is crap, we can stick around for an hour or so and then head home and kibbitz with Karen, who's coming along with us for the evening. So I'm looking forward to that. If only I didn't have to go to work tomorrow...