Due to PB's feverish determination to be unwell, I was resigned to bringing her to work with me this morning. Unfortunately staying home with her was not possible; a detective from Mississippi is coming by at 10 so that I can enhance a video from an armed robbery in his jurisdiction. And Jack has trial all day today, so he couldn't stay home with her either.

Therefore this morning was spent in a flurry of packing together all of the crap and crud that is needed for bringing a sick kid to work, including all manner of things that would keep her quiet and occupied, toys, playpen, food, valium... She threw up on me once, fortunately before I'd put my uniform shirt on, so all I had to do was change my undershirt. But that caused me to run slightly late. I finally got an extremely fussy kid into her carseat and got all of her stuff loaded up and was pulling out of the driveway about ten minutes later than I usually do.

When suddenly, like an angel appearing from the heavens, my stepdaughter pulled into the driveway. Jack had told me that he had spoken to her, but he hadn't received any kind of firm committment from her as to whether she could come babysit. I'd given up on her, but she was just late because of traffic. I swear I have never been so glad to see anyone in my entire life. I'm tremendously lucky in that I can bring my daughter to work with me when there is no other option, but it's not all that easy on her, and I don't get a lick of work done.

And today is Jack's birthday--57! (I'm sure he'll just love me posting that.) I bought him a whiz-bang pedometer that has all sorts of bells and whistles and lets you upload your progress to some site on the internet.. I dunno, but he loves all that sort of obsessive stuff and he seemed to be enthusiastic when I gave it to him. I also found a really cool birthday card for him. Cover: "Darling, if you do one and only one thing on your birthday..." Inside: "Let it be Me."

He thought it was cool too. :)