(e:paul) built Basra a new home for the winter. (e:terry) and I helped him set it up - this time we had $300 worth of rubber matting so he doesn't scratch the floor.



I still feel bad for him - he should be in Arizona or something, not a tiny room in Buffalo for eight months. If we find him a new home, we should get a hibernating tortoise. You can put this Greek tortoise in the fridge during the winter and he'll hibernate for months.



If Paul weren't allergic, I'd really want a guinea pig/meerschwienchen! They're so much cuddlier than tortoises.

The block club party was real fun. Lindsay was back in town. Sloppy night but a good time.

We stopped with (e:mike) at Big Lots on the way home. Stores like this full of disposable junk make me want to throw up just being in then. I feel like everything here is made to sit in a house for a year before ending up in the landfill.

(E:tinypliny) I heard about your 100 things rule and going here makes me want to live by that.


a plastic hot dog boiler.

Paul wanted a new iron, with a self cleaning mode. New and improved.

Looks like someone lost their groceries. "Cheese" slices sprinkled down the street and a jar of peanut butter. How disappointed would you be if you got home and lost your but butter and cheese? If it belongs to you, you better run and get it.

On the way there (e:Paul) got us stuck talking to the best singer in Buffalo. Apparently he's better than Lance Diamond. He tried to serenade us with a song for money - but not before he started coughing up a lung into the street, Ebola style.

(E:mike), (e:Paul) and I went to Mezza for dinner before heading to (e:czarkasm)'s show at Millie's. We got some delicious Lebanese food - the best falafel I've had in a while.

If you want to swim down south, skip Holiday Valley and go straight to Erie. I've never seen such clear water in the lake before. We tried to go to Holiday Valley first but it wasn't great, so we drove another hour and half to Presque Isle in Erie


The holiday valley mud pit

(e:paul) despairing about having to drive more



The water was freezing but I dove in anyway. I couldn't stay very long though.


Sunning ourselves like Basra


Eventually the sun went away and it was too cold to swim again.

So we explored the isle a little more. Here was the Venice of Erie, scrody water included. All the little shacks had boats to go out to them.