Slugs, notebooks, ear infections, and non-smoking...

So Tai has learned something since we got home from vacation. Slugs are his friends. No, not the slimy gooey wormy kind - the human variety. Apparently, around here, though hitchhiking is illegal, they encourage it anyway. People park in commuter lots on their way to DC, then are picked up by total strangers (maybe not always total strangers, I guess) and are driven to work. The advantage for the drivers is this: they can use the High Occupancy vehicle Lanes...lanes that can't be used by cars without a certain number of travelers inside. Thus, the drivers cut their drive time. Well - this also works in reverse, which is what helps Tai out. He picks up guys at the Pentagon, then drives home, or most of the way home, on the HOV lanes, and drops them off at a commuter lot (There is one just down the road from us), and gets home much earlier than he has in the past. I rather like this discovery - however it makes me nervous, cuz ya just never know who you're picking up.

Tai and I are giving ourselves a wedding gift! We ordered a laptop from Dell. Here are the details - rather kickass if I do say so myself!

Model: Inspiron 5150
Mobile Intel Pentium 4 processor, 3.06GHz
15 inch display
512mb 333MHz memory
40GB HD
24X CDRW/DVD combo drive
Dell Wireless 1350 Internal Wireless (802.11b/g, 54Mbps)
96 WHr Lithium Ion 12-cell Battery
(Free) Single function color Dell 720 Printer
Targus Ultra Mini Optical Mouse with Retractable Cord

I'm excited!

In other news, my ears are still driving me batty. They're not nearly as painful as they were before, but they're still in pain. And the stuffiness is going to drive me insane!! Sometimes I hear pretty well. Sometimes I can hear out of one ear. Sometimes I can hear a little bit with one ear but not the other. Sometimes I hear everything in "Transformer" - I hear voices as if three people were speaking the same words at the exact same time. I think it's safe to say they're definitely infected. =o(

And apparently I've shared the joy, too. Poor P woke up screaming last night because his ear hurt. That was the first sign we had from him that he was sick. This morning he was fine, but to be on the safe side, Tai took him to the doctor. By golly, he does have an ear infection in one ear, and the other ear is seriously considering following suit. Poor kid. I hope the antibiotics keep it from getting to be as painful as mine!

We've been non-smokers for a week!!