It’s apparently a really major insult in German, but in our family became watered down to being a somewhat loving sign of exasperation. (Although with Grandma, you never really were sure how to take anything...)

That’s fair. And to be honest I’ve never had anyone else’s German potato salad, so it is entirely possible that Grandma Rush’s is totally different than every other kind. Mom says it is — that she never liked anyone else’s growing up. It is very vinegary, though, so if that’s not your thing, you will not be a fan.

You take that back! It’s the one thing German that survived my family’s Americanization (that and calling people schweinhund) and it is glorious.

OMG I just choked on a mango chunk while laughing at you.

That and I am the stingray whisperer. Seriously, one made eye contact and winked.

Ding ding ding! We have a winner.

Kelly, why do you have my cat?

:-) Me too!

There were a bunch of crazy weather reports around Chicago Monday. My phone kept telling me there was going to be hail and a possible tornado. Apparently one did touch down about 60 mi. outside the city. I was just annoyed b/c I had to bump my flight, but I did end up having an extra day to wander around (and Tuesday…

It was almost a full week — the longest vacation I have taken since forever!

Yeah, but it’s there. Whether it’s revealed on a TV show or by an opponent, it’ll get out. PR 101 — get ahead of the crisis and control the narrative. He could have had the slave owner bit in there, and offer his mother’s humanitarian/civil rights work as a nice contrast and a symbol of the evolution and change of…

AMAZING. I got to pet a stingray, see a Viking exhibit, hear Debbie Gibson perform, eat and drink a stupid amount of food and alcohol, watch stage fightning and hang out with an old friend. I don’t know if I was just visiting on a festival-heavy weekend, but I think I went to about four of them. I was delayed getting…

I’m stupidly tired this morning. Thank you for succinctly interpreting Roberts’ decision in words my brain can understand.

Witches. We watched Witches for Halloween in third grade and I had absolute nightmares of getting stuck in a painting and running across scary women burping green. I couldn’t sleep for weeks.

Wish I had seen this last night instead of this morning. Sob.

Hah. And I’m sitting here thinking, “Thank Christ it was the Canadians this time.”

I got Nicky too, and she would not be a good crime partner. Would turn on you in a second.

As long as it’s not 95 degrees and there aren’t 17-year giant cicadas trying to kill me (like at home), I think it’ll be just fine. :-)

Hah! Not at all. One of my closest friends lives there. I visit her when I can (it’s probably my favorite city in the United States, TBH), and I am super excited to do all the summer things (I’ve visited in winter several times now, which is just dumb.) Fringe theater, trying to steal a baby otter from the Shedd,…