Ah, Presidents Day. I am off from work and the day stretches ahead of me, but I am in a foul mood. Do you ever just wake up some mornings and feel like you start the day with two left feet? Where no matter what you do, it feel like the world is conspiring against you? Those days suck in general and they are worse when they happen on a HOLIDAY and they are worst still when it is pouring rain outside ON THAT HOLIDAY. GRRRRRR.

I have lots of unpleasant tasks to do today...bill paying, laundry. I got nothing done yesterday because I spent the entire day in bed reading books 2 and 3 of the Harry Potter series. Not sure why I was on a mission to read them, but once you start, they're a little like crack and you can't put them down and the next thing you know you're bargaining for just 100 pages more, just another 100...I think I felt left out of the Harry Potter mania from years past and wanted to catch up. Two more to go and then I'll be up to snuf with every other 11-year-old in the country. Go, Beth, Go!

In brighter news, the dinner party was a success and I surprised even myself with my Martha-ness. Not sure I'll do it again anytime soon, but it was fun to have everyone together and play the hostess.

In additional good news, I was awakened once again with a crack-of-dawn knocking on my door on Saturday morning, with yet ANOTHER package of gifties. Thanks much to world-recognized ballroom dancer Katusha Demidova for thinking of her cousin Michiko.

Need to be positive and try and resist the foul black cloud above my head. Time to grit my teeth and face the day.