Whee! It my birthday!

So, I was going to blog this morning about syntax and a recent NEA message indicating that some public school district somewhere will soon begin separating students by gender despite parent protest - I'm interested not by the issue or the pedagogical implications or even the controversy as I am by use of the word "gender" when the word intended, "sex," is too laden with naughty overtones. Nathan Lane, Charlton Heston, Rock Hudson, Brett Michaels, The-artist-again-known-as-Prince, Carson Daily, Dog the Bounty Hunter, Woody Allen and I all perform very different genders, but are all of the same sex.

I didn't, though, because I had to go to Woodland to visit the head shrinker. As expected, Cymbalta discontinuation was the root of my dysphoric vertigo/nausea/tinnitus. I got a scrip for a taper-down dose of the Cymbalta and other cool scrips, too, but the cool thing is that I feel human again. I even helped a little with demolitions today in the bathroom.

I'll post some "during" pictures later since I was too late to capture a "before" shot, but the long and short version is that we tore the cabinets out of the bathroom today, took down the mirror and the vanity ligh, pulled out the toilet and scraped and washed the crud off the walls in preparation to repaint, lay down tile, possibly re-plumb the sink, and put in new cabinets. When we're done, it will be much improved.

Finally, as we were working (okay, Shel was working. I was watching), FedEx showed up with the coolest birthday present EVAH! Trixie is a total BADASS and this gift is so cool that I'm in doubt as to whether it's even appropriate for me to explicate here what I got. I am so fully stoked! While the market value is of tertiary importance at best to me, it does give you a clue, so I will say that I estimate the retail value of this gift at about $520!

Shel and I just got back from the grocer and she's making her awesome spaghetti (okay, cellantani ragu) and her awesomer garlic bread, and I'm going to install the full version of WoW on my computer and begin spending some time geeking out.