Yesterday at brunch was the first time I'd seen my aunt since she had a face lift, eyelid lift (is that what they call it?), laser treatments and a tummy tuck. Other than looking emaciated, which she does periodically, dieting herself to some insanely low weight and negative dress size, she appeared to be about 15 years younger than she had the last time I saw her. Plastic surgery scares the shit out of me, as does any elective surgery, because of the possible dire consequences on which I always fixate. I have no problem with other people having work done (my uncle even had his ears "done", whatever that means), but I won't even have the carpal tunnel syndrome in my left hand fixed at this point. Blood clots, strokes, permanent disfigurement, sepsis, flesh eating bacteria, allergic reaction to anesthesia, pestilence, famine and world domination by fundamentalist facists all can result from surgery, which I will avoid like, so to speak, the plague.

Also at brunch, I learned that my cousin's daughter's kindergarten teacher had lined the kids in her class up, and asked them publicly how their parents had voted on the school budget. Prior to the election, she had also told them that if their parents didn't vote for the budget they would have no more school supplies for the rest of the year. And people wonder why public education is swirling down the toilet. I guess that the concept of secret ballots somehow escaped this woman in her demented quest for additional funding. I'm tempted to call the district and ask for a statement for this website.

TV: some horribly inane made-for-TV movie, co-produced by Britney Spears and her mother, all made worthwhile by Rebecca actively wanting to spend time with me.