This weekend I'm going back home to see my sister and mom (it is their birthdays) and we are going to spread my grandmother's ashes-- at least my aunt's half of them. (My dad's half are in a ceramic jar.) I've never spread ashes before, but it will probably help me get closure of some type. When your grandmother dies in another country, it is very different from having your grandmother die while holding your hand. Less real, I guess. Maybe ashes will make it more real, I don't know.

(Oh man, speaking of the fam, my sister just posted an instant message conversation between her and my father. In case you've missed him.)

Moving right along. On a random note, people born under the sign of Pisces are supposed to have a lot of foot problems. And I, a Pisces, have troublesome feet at the moment. Between the plantar "not warts" faciitis and the blisters and the fact that I stubbed my toe really hard yesterday and it still hurts today, I am having a hard time just walking to and from the bus station. I blame astrology. Especially since my boss, also a Pisces, just had to have foot surgery. COINCIDENCE?

Speaking of random things I feel like mentioning, I've had this IRS thing hanging over my head for weeks. I got a letter from the IRS requesting some "proof of payment" of an amount of well over $1,000. I didn't understand the letter; then I lost the letter. Go team! Eventually I figured out that I could go to the Federal tax building before work and try to get the matter cleared up. That was this morning. They looked up my account and said, "Nope, no problems here. Call the state tax board." I felt really dumb for thinking it was a Federal issue when all the time it was a state issue. Until I called the state tax board and they said, "Nope, no problems here." So this letter either was an error or never existed in the first place. I thought I lost it-- maybe I dreamed it!

Or maybe I am losing my mind. More evidence: while I was wandering the city trying to figure out this tax thing, I got two free samples of yogurt, pear and peach flavored, from some organic yogurt company. I opened the peach one and tasted it, but it was too fatty for me. I guess I am used to lowfat yogurt. So I threw it away. Then when I got to work, I went to get the pear one so I could offer it to someone. And I pulled it out of my bag and it was PEACH FLAVORED. I vividly recall having both pear and peach, deliberating which one to open, and opening the peach-colored, peach-flavored yogurt. I really think I must be going crazy, because I cannot explain this at all.

Obviously, I find myself with many random things to say, which now I will illustrate with pictures I have recently taken. Are you ready?

Speaking of pets, I have to give you the frog update. He has gotten so interactive lately! He hangs out on the leaves or the branches or up on the glass; he doesn't hide all day anymore. And then if I take him out of the tank in the evening, he lets us hold him and pet him, and climbs up our arms, and all sorts of fun things. He does try and run away every time a camera is pointed at him, however; I've missed a lot of his cutest shots! But here are some.