[Today's subject line brought to you from Nellie McKay.]

The Bronchitis of Doom is still requiring a couple doses of Robitussin a day, but I'm hopeful about ramping back into my mad, bad, and dangerous to know, slays-To-Do-lists-with-the-force-of-an-F5-tornado self within a couple weeks. It's calmed down enough that I was able to record two episodes of Sally Gardner's The Red Necklace (a YA novel about the French Revolution) yesterday afternoon for Nashville Talking Library, and to futz around with Audacity earlier tonight for a couple other projects. Ah, learning curves...

Today has been the coldest day of the fall so far - I finally put on socks, pulled my oversize purple sweater-coat over my hoodie, and hauled the Christmas cactus on the deck back inside. Last night I felt the start of what I think of as "heater itch" -- I'm far more diligent about moisturizing during winter, since the alternative is to feel like a hundred ants are gnawing up my back.

It also definitely feels like fall because various volunteer commitments are now crowding the calendar. I've been a member of my alma mater's Alumni Schools Committee for years, which basically means I interview high school seniors interested in the U of C. It's a fun gig, especially when I meet kids who I think would really enjoy Chicago and can thus recommend wholeheartedly, and that's starting up again next week.

At church, the Room in the Inn assignments are about to be set. I'll be out of the country for part of November, but I'll be preparing some of the food for the Friday night I'm available. I'm also cooking for next week's fellowship dinner as part of the Herb Fair team (I've promised to handle the Middle Eastern carrot salad -- 24 cups of carrots! -- and the rice-wheat kasha), I'm a recorder for the auction (which I've done every year I've been in town), and there's a ministry committee meeting as well. (I also have a sermon to draft, music to rehearse, and financials to update, but first things first.)

It wasn't the most productive week in terms of billable hours logged or household chores conquered (I haven't even finished unpacking the suitcase I took to Raleigh, ack), and there were some rather pungent mishaps (I managed to burn bubble tea this morning...), but there were also rare delights, unanticipated affirmations, and outright joys. I treated myself to some of the really terrific tea my mother-in-law gave me earlier this year for my birthday -- it's as delicious as it is prettily packaged. The BYM and I met up with our beloved Saz and Erac (and their cat Gris-Gris) for champagne, barbeque, and conversation, and the next night I got to sip coffee and talk shop (and costumes, and other mischief) with Joanne for two hours. One of my poems received a nomination for a "Best Of" anthology, and today's mail brought my prizes from this year's SFPA contest. I finished making a birthday present earlier tonight and am closer to sorting out what needs to be done to finalize several others.

With everything else going on this weekend, it's unlikely that I'm going to get myself over to the the Great Nashville Duck Race, but just thinking about it makes me grin like a loon.