(no subject)

I talked with my mum last night about what to get Lucky for Father's Day, and we agreed to go in together on a giftcard to a restaurant he really likes. She said, "Pay me next time we see each other. Just send him a really nice card, you always pick such great cards."

About a year ago, I think, I sent his mum, my step-grandmother, a card for her birthday. It was a funny card, involving some joke or other about cows, but I didn't think it was particularly hilarious or anything. Mama Tickey, however, laughed so hard at it that she put herself into respiratory distress and had to go to the hospital. (I had to send her a get-well card. Talk about nerve-wracking.)

Now, on the one hand, she's eighty-two. On the other hand, clearly I have an awesome gift that must be used with great caution. It's a heavy responsibility, being able to send homicidally funny greetings cards. I must choose with great care.

So I got him one about ninjas. I figure you can't go wrong with ninjas. And if the ninjas kill him, at least they won't leave any evidence.

(no subject)

Brief can't-wait-for-Monday signal boost: soul_cake_duck let me know that kythryne is looking for the name of a good custody lawyer in upstate New York who would be willing to take on or advise on an urgent custody case (abusive boyfriend, desperate mother) for low fee or pro bono.

In other news, I decided I wanted to go to a Cubs game this year, given I live less than ten minutes from the stadium. R goes to them all the time, but he must know some kind of discount trick and/or be offering sexual favours in return for tickets, because even bleacher seats -- BLEACHER SEATS -- cost $72.

I've never really been to a pro ball game as an adult. I used to go all the time as a teen, but it was with my parents or as part of a school/youth group outing, so I never learned the intricacies of ticket-buying. By the time I was old enough to go on my own and in a place with independent stadium access, I couldn't afford tickets. But I was a broke college student then and "couldn't afford" meant tickets to a Red Sox game cost $17, which wasn't that much even in 2001.

Seriously, The Cubs? $30 for limited-view third-tier outfield?

Besides, this makes me feel so old, but I don't think I could ever love baseball as much as I did as a kid. It's all steroids and douchebags and $72 bleacher seats. I know a good many players were douchebags on steroids when I was a kid (Mark McGwire, you were my hero, you asshole) but at least then I didn't know about it. And I'm still angry over the salary cap strike.

So instead I think I'm going to just schedule myself to watch a game on TV. That defeats the point of the "getting out of the house" program, but that program is expensive enough as it is.