It's 11:31 p.m., and we're all still getting over the flu, but you know what? I'm gonna post a little blog.

One good friend recently quit facebook, and one undertook it. That doesn't have a whole lot to do with this post other than a couple of facts:

First, the one who quit facebook (Tamie) keeps encouraging me to get back to writing, and since she can't now otherwise know that our whole family has the flu, it seems as good of a reason as any to post at least a little something. I would like for her (and all of you who love us and whom we love) to know that Ziah and I apparently got the same strain, with fewer bouts of puking and a quicker recovery, and Zora and Jason seem to have gotten the same strain, with more pukes and stomach cramps. There is a fair mountain of laundry's been building over this 3 days, I'll tell ya that much.

And I'd like you to know that Zoralee said to me today, and I quote her exactly, "Every once in awhile, I learn something from you."

The knowing thing. When Rachel and Bennett visited us in September, sure, we all got sick and didn't do 80% of what we planned to do, but she saw our daily lives, or at least a version of it, the Having Company Version, which after a week or so kind of falls apart like tender roast into the Regular Version. She saw that I have one utensil drawer (near the stove) that has our most used cooking utensils, like spatulas and wooden stirring spoons, and another drawer with lesser used items, like a lime squeezer and a baster brush. And in each of those utensil drawers, there resides an identical soup ladle. Two ladles, but not in the same drawer? Yes! Because we frequently use a single ladle, but only occasionally use both at the same time.

So, it is important, I feel, for a few other people to know such details of a person's life. And since we live out of town and get approximately .4 visitors each week, hello blog world again.

Speaking of visitors, the other day, one of Jason's work buddies stopped by, and I think we traumatized him. He doesn't have children and never wants them. And we did a lovely job of shooing him on down that childless path. He pulled in to the drive, and there were toys and trash all over the yard. When he got out of his car, our dog ran up to him and tried to make his freshly pressed uniform as hairy as she could. Then Jason brought him into the house, where he was greeted by unusually exhuberant, half-naked cave children and a floor full of toys, laundry and crud. I watched his eyes dart about, and I saw the wheels inside his head turning. They were formulating the sentence he would utter to his wife that very night when they lay together on their marriage bed: "You are current on your birth control, aren't you, Dear?"

Secondly, the reason facebook has something to do with me blogging tonight is that I spoke today with the friend who finally did get herself a facebook identity (hello, 2012!). She will remain anonymous in case she doesn't want a bunch of new friend requests - heh heh. I realized in talking with her that with each of us being loosely committed to time on the web, the best way for us to connect more deeply is still going to be blogger. It just is. Because actual, news-worthy (well...) posts and photos stay here indefinitely in chronological order, and they aren't clouded by the game scores or random musings of 300 other people. Nothing wrong with game scores or random musings, but if you initially go to the computer for heartfelt connection with a far-off friend, you *might* get distracted. I do, anyway.

And folks, that there is the intro to whatever blog I thought I was going to post. And it's too late to do anything more. I bid you a fare night, my friends.