unbelievable. absolutely unbelievable.

Dear University of Washington,

Why. Why do you do this? Some kind of phallic envy? Not enough tall buildings on UW campus, so you have to get away with asking ridiculous questions?

First it was the personal statement. Dumb, but I can see why I needed that, I suppose. It appears to be not uncommon here anyway. (I still think it's dumb.)
Then it was the high school transcripts. Dumber. Don't get that one, particularly with the amount of credits I have. No one at your admissions office can explain it, either, which makes me think the rule is arbitrary and lame.
But why do you need to know my academic history going back to first grade? You could have easily bypassed that by putting a checkbox asking me if all my academic instruction was in English, and if not please fill out the form below. We do speak English in Canada. At least most of it. Really. Even though we like to fling around extra vowels on occasion.

First grade?!? I had to LOOK UP the name of my primary school, for God's sake.

Having done both, I can honestly say it is in some ways simpler to get a permanent resident card in the United States than it is to apply to the University of Washington.

I'm surprised you don't want SAT scores. Considering you wanted everything else that didn't make sense, it seems almost normal of you.

I'm still waiting for you to send me a cup to pee in. I'm sure you'll want to sequence my genome to make sure I'm an appropriate student for your institution.

Obviously your bureaucrats used to work for the Province of Ontario,

Me.

well, doesn't EVERYONE?

Link of the day: Male Praying Mantids Prefer Not To Be Victims of Sexual Cannibalism.

(worksafe unless your boss is a praying mantid and doesn't want to think about what might happen on his next date)

I have many joint pains, but nothing else. (chest/fingers/toes/elbows/shoulders/hips/knees/ankles/foo). This does not feel like a standard cold. WTF.

Good: may have found babysitter for teh boy for two or three days per week, which means I can do such foolish things as get a haircut/go for coffee/go to the library/go grocery shopping without dragging an unwilling accomplice along/go to taxi dogs/actually work on some actual writing for a while. ZOMG.
Good: The kitten has open eyes now and is very curious.
Good: I have new tea to try. Raspberry patch, strawberry something, and sour apple. (Iced fruit teas have forsaken juice, which is probably good for me in some way. Seaners, as always, tends to drink water much of the time.)

and they lived happily ever after until they didn't

Best post I've read in a good while: The Crip and the Fat Chick.

mmm. there's no taste like home *clicks ruby crullers together*

You remember that episode of M*A*S*H where Hawkeye orders the ribs from Adam's Ribs in Chicago (and forgets the coleslaw)?

One of these days, I am so doing that with Tim Horton's donuts. Two dozen Tim Horton's donuts - half chocolate dip, half apple cinnamon filled - and a couple of their vegetarian sandwiches.

And a tin of coffee, of course.