From Inflationary Epoch on Wikipedia

It is not known exactly when the inflationary epoch ended, but it is thought to have been between 10 ^–33 and 10 ^–32 seconds after the Big Bang.

…Yes, because if it was 10 ^{–33 and a half} that would have made all the difference.

This is why I wouldn’t have made it in physics.

Twenty years ago (give or take a few days) a sixteen-year-old boy invited my sixteen-year-old self to go to a birthday party for his grandfather and cousin. We’d dated a few times before that, but this was the first time we held hands and the first time we were Going Out.

Twenty years later that same boy, now a wonderful man, is taking me out to dinner.

We’ve been together for more than half our lives, more than our entire adult lives, and all but three and a half years of my sister’s life. That’s a damn long time.

Our relationship is more hard work than luck, more stubbornness than providence. Still, I am grateful for the opportunity to be on this man’s arm, living this life, every day.

Cheetahs get workout at horse track – Houston Chronicle.

I can’t imagine why they don’t want the cheetahs and the horses on the track at the same time *grin*

The chest freezer currently holds:

• One 14 lb frozen kosher turkey
• One frozen whole chicken
• Two frozen ducks

I officially dub this “The Winter of Our Discount Hen”.

Having been awakened on less than six hours’ sleep by overzealous recruiters, our intrepid hero discovered that while she was visiting the necessary one of the dogs had thrown a vomit festival all over the bedroom floor. She tackled that issue with gusto (“gusto” being a foreign word that meant “total disgust and much grumbling at said dogs), suited everyone up for a trip to the surprisingly mild outdoors, dodged UPS Man / dog interactions, greeted the neighbors, and cleaned up all the poops.

Now it was time to battle with her nemesis: the way-behind NaNoWriMo Draft.

Or maybe a shower and a coke and some form of chocolate. Yeah, maybe that first.

You can still sponsor me if you’re interested, by the way.

Fun facts from my nightmare-filled brain, sorted from creepy to crazy:

• The longer you’re pregnant, the more of the baby’s features you can see through your stomach. When you can see the baby’s eye color, you have about 24 hours until labor sets in.
• Human/Tyrannosaur hybrids are a thing, and you might already know one.
• Before running any kind of medical testing the hospital will lock you and 11 other strangers in a conference room with a big oak table. You’ll be naked because they’re going around to take everyone’s vitals. You won’t mind.
• Everyone is given a personals samples bag to ensure you can all brush your teeth. Your bag will be about the length and width of a tube sock but contain full-size containers of: toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, another shampoo, another conditioner, toothbrush, comb, napkins, mouthwash, razors, hairspray, and leave-in conditioner.
• One of the women in the group will fall in love with the tyrannosaur and leave her husband and child to live with him. They spend their time roaming museums, often in their bed clothing
• The tyrannosaur, by the way, started out looking like a normal guy, then turned into a flesh-colored dinosaur, then into a cross between the T-Rex from Meet the Robinsons and the toy T-Rex from Toy Story but had Wallace Shawn’s voice
• when your brain starts injecting jokes about the flash-forward and flash-back scripting of your dreams, you’re about to wake up.

I just woke up and I’m already tired.

Last night at way too early in the morning, I hit 50,000 words.

That’s 107 pages, 276,010 characters. And one main character currently bleeding from his ears on the floor.

So I’m not done.

But I hit my goal and I am a very very happy kirabug!

One last plug: you can help kids and adults who want to have the opportunity to write, but don’t have the equipment, by donating to the cause. It is a life-altering positive experience to say, “I made this”. Please consider a donation.