oh dear . . .

today's title comes from a favorite saying of a kid i used to work with while at the front desk at the hotel. he was a goofy kid named wayne tee from singapore who just wanted to stay in the united states (ended up he had to leave once his work visa lapsed, which the hotel's hr department was to blame for). whenever he made a mistake, he would draw out an "oh dear" just like someone saying "oh shit" and i would know he just really screwed up something. usually what happened was that he gave someone the wrong key, so inevitably he would have to run and catch them before they walked into someone else's room (oh yes, inevitably the room key he did give them was for an occupied room). wasn't the smoothest ride, working with him, but it usually was entertaining to see how many ways he could screw up.

anyway, i'm writing this just as i'm feeling 100% again, as i've spent the past three days with food poisoning or a stomach bug or something. i couldn't even look at the computer i was so sick. hell, friday was nothing but me lying prone next to the toilet. it was such an enjoyable way for me to begin a long weekend (today is patriots' day, so sam and i both have it off). it really put a crimp on my timeline for projects--i have three papers due next monday, one of which i planned on having done saturday but i'll start work on today. i also had a ticket to see the red sox play the anaheim angels yesterday but we've had a nor'easter come through that rained it out--what luck! as i'm writing now, the worst of it is here, as it's pouring down rain and the winds are really blowing. today is the boston marathon, which they'll be running regardless of the weather, but nobody'll be making any records today, because they'll be running head-long into the wind.

sam and i have found an irish rabbi in boston--where else but in boston would you find one, except maybe new york?--that we're considering to have officiate at our wedding. i hear that the glass he has you break at the end is really a shot glass filled with jameson.

this week's music is all about the hard-working blue-collared man. they're also both country songs--wonder if there's any connection? i hope you enjoy lefty frizzell's "saginaw, michigan" and loretta lynn's "coal miner's daughter".