My Brother JAMIE came to see us this week. He will be leaving for an 8 month stint in Thailand as an English teacher - he's leaving January 3rd.

I hated seeing him leave. Not only was it helpful having him around the house to watch Nicholas while I peed, cleaned, or got a snack, but knowing he wasn't going to be back for months really depressed me.

Anyway, I know he will have the experience of a lifetime in Thailand, and he will come back with pictures and stories to entertain us all.

As for me, I am so uncomfortable and tired I can't work up the energy to take a trip to the bookstore. Maybe later, I think. But then again, maybe later I will just be MORE tired and MORE uncomfortable, and we'll end up in front of the TV watching bad afternoon programming.