Insomnia Cures R Us

Rejoined the public library today, and got the two latest Pratchetts (yay), namely Thud! and Going Postal. Now I can enjoy my Christmas brekkie. On an unrelated note, we found that you didnt need a social security number to get a library card, so Geronimo joined. And now he can use his library card as a third "ID" to open a bank account. (This isn't a loophole. If it was a loophole, I wouldnt be blogging it. I'm blogging it, so it isn't a loophole. So there.)

Decided to bring something interesting to the Christmas potluck - Indian sweets. So I hopped on the 151, and 90 minutes later (we're not talking a short journey here) had arrived in Chicago's tiny version of India. This is my third visit to Devon in my five years here, and the first time I wasn't dragged. Got a couple of packets of each of ... wait for it... gulab jamuns, kheer (looked like payasam to me), funnyname1, and funnyname2. I don't have them in front of me right now, but the directions to make them seem clear enough. Not to worry, we'll find a way of mucking them up.

Been processing my old Mandarin data, and wondering why my results are suddenly a lot worse. I might have to redo all the pitch tracking with Praat instead of ESPS. (Insert "Sheise!" here.)

Returning was a chore. I had taken the 151 to get to Devon (that's way up there in North Chicago) from downtown and figured I'd take it back down again. First though, I had to get on the 155 ... and that took 30 minutes to arrive. I then stayed on it a short while before getting off at a stop that served both the 155 and 151. After tn minutes the 151 was still nowhere in sight, and then someone said that the 155 went further on to the Red Line (the subway), so when a 155 turned up in five minutes, I hopped on it, and took the train downtown. In other words, I should have just stayed on the 155 in the first place. Anyway... I could have got off at Garfield but didn't want to freeze my (currently expanding) butt off waiting for another bus, so I hopped off downtown and paid another two quid to catch the next Metra instead. Another 20 minute wait, but it was indoors. Warm. Good.

If you didn't make the connection, Warm = Good. Speaking of which, today is a actually very warm day. It's been at most -10 the last few days, and we've been begging our atheist gods to make it merely freezing again ... and Lo! It was 3 degrees celsius today! Truly, this is paradise.

On returning (with GR giving me nasty "yeah so whos making them there sweets?" looks), I got a call from Arsenal in Holland. He's just got his PhD! Much celebration followed. (Details of this are not suitable for blogs other than Wonkette.) All you have to know is that (1) men gossip too (hey, we haven't talked in six months!) and (2) he called at 2am his time because of insomnia, and (3) I did my part and had him yawning after twenty minutes. I should start my own consulting company - "Insomnia Cures R Us"...