OUCH!

Don't sleep so close to the bedside table. Banging into it with your forehead in the middle of the night isn't pleasant.
And it leaves marks.

Me and the Coop at the Festival

FestivalAdam
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

Here is this year's festival photo of me and my buddy Adam clowning around at the library festival. He stayed dry this year! (last year's entry) I am supposed to be giving him a back massage in this photo. If you think it looks like I'm doing something else, then you can just keep those thoughts to yourself!

This year I did not work at the event or on it at all. I did the Komen Race in the morning, stopped home to charge up (read: nap), and then went to the festival for a bit in the afternoon. It looked like everyone was having a great time, and I think they may have made around $9 or $10k.

But let me move back to the Komen Race for the rest of this entry. And the internet. And how great both are.

In yesterday's entry I mentioned that I had not quite reached my goal of $610. I mentioned (I think, but I'm too lazy to go back and look) that I would probably write a check for the difference. I figured I'd wait until the next payday to do that.

So I was pretty surprised to get this message in my email inbox last night:

Hi Karen,

I have been following your blog for a few years now--totally enjoy your stories and pictures--keep them coming! I have commented to you via your blog address as well as your previous personal email address I am "Tom from California" as a tag.

I wrote to you before, regarding my wife and I retiring to Cary, N.C. You recommended Asheville--a very good suggestion I might say. My wife (Lynn) and I did plan on pursuing, but after she retired in August of 2007, she was diagnosed with bladder cancer and she wants to stay close to home for our girls.

At any rate, I enjoyed your blog of today talking about your "Race". Can my wife and I send the additional $64 for you to meet your "goal"? If so, how do I process the gift (check, credit card, or???). If it is too late we will contribute next year.

Thanks Karen. Your family and community stories are a great day-to-day read for me and Lynn. Nothing but good things for you and your family.

"Tom from California".

I mean wow! Isn't that neat?

So Tom! I thanked you in my response last night, but here's another, more public thank you. And a big shout-out to Lynn. We're pulling for her. And post a comment every once in a while. Let us know how you all are doing!

So I've reached $610. Even in today's economy, people find a way to support the causes near to their hearts. Love to you all!
karen

Absolutely Crazy Inspirational

KomenCrowd08
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

It's always controlled, friendly, noisy mayhem at the Komen Race and this year was no exception.
Buddy Rena and I showed up at about 7:40 and took a quick turn through the booths before entering the crowd starting the 5k non-competitive walk/run. We never did find our friend Sarah and the Jazzercisers from Fort Mill, but did see other Jazzers we recognized.

Here I am with Leslie and Shae from church. Leslie is in the pink survivor's shirt on the left. They both are also in our jazzercises classes here in Indian Land. Every year they come with their own group and every year at some point. right before the race starts, we turn around and there they are right in front of us! I'm always amazed by that. 15,000 people pack downtown Charlotte and somehow we always manage to find these two before the race without even looking for them.
Four things take me by surprise every year when I do this. One is what I just mentioned: running into people you know. The other is the enormity of the crowd, as pictured above. The third is the incredible noise. I don't record it. I should. And then post it on here. At the starting line there were all these drums. Some very good drumline. I never did actually see them. Maybe they weren't even there! Maybe it was piped in noise. But it seemed live. And the fourth is sights like this:

Thanks so much to everyone who donated to the Komen Race. I did not make my goal of $610 this year. The final total was $546. But hey, that's $546 closer to a cure, isn't it?

A Dollar Here, A Dollar There.

I'm pleased to report that I've gathered $446 so far for the Komen foundation. My goal is $610, so I've been nagging some folks to pony up a couple of bucks for the cause.I've lost a couple of traditional contributors, but have also gained ones that surprised me. This morning a woman at work handed me checks from her Sunday School class! That was pretty cool. I've gotten contributions for as little as $10 and some for $50. It's a great cause and the only begging I do from my friends all year.

The race is Saturday. Bffs Rena and Sarah and I will walk that morning and then probably have our traditional post-race breakfast. We'll miss Cassie, who has to work that day (last day to register to vote) and Tambri (going to DC with her sister), but we'll soldier on.

Then I have to shower and get over to the Fall into Fun Festival to benefit the library! So it'll be an all-around fund raising day, for sure. I'll be carrying my camera around a lot that day.

Buddies Sarah and Jenny have both turned me on to a fun website called Stickk. It's an online site where you can make commitments to reach certain goals and then track your progress online. Sarah and Jenny are both committed to weight loss. I put a commitment to doing yoga every day. AND a one-hour practice on the weekend. That last bit is the hard part for me. Once I start laying around, it's hard for me to get a move on. The site itself is pretty funny, as it has some fun reward methods. You can commit a certain amount of money to go to a favorite charity if you meet your goal, or you could have it go to an "anti-charity" if you don't. Say for instance that you are a against the NRA and everything it stands for. You can designate the NRA as the recipient of your "stake" if you don't make your commitment. I didn't put up a stake. But if I do reach my goal, I think I might reward myself with a membership to the Yoga Club on Gaiam. Coast over to the site and poke around. It's pretty cool.

Shooting a Bit Better

Gateway Church App Mission Concert 9.27.08
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

Well, I've had better luck with my shooting this weekend. Friday I went to the Presbyterian Church to shoot their Friday night movie night, but it was a nasty, rainy day so there were not many folks there. I did get a chance to sit down with a friend a visit for a bit, and I shot a few photos, which I played with in Photoshop for a while.

Last night I went to the Church of God and shot their concert, which was put on by this local group called The Christianaires. They are out of Fort Mill, so they didn't have to travel far. I have to say they were darn good. Sort of a country, mountain sounding kind of group. Great Gospel music. There were times when their drummer got a little off, but for the most part they were very enjoyable. I had to tap my feet most of the time.

I also just about embarrassed myself. Actually, I was embarrassed, but not as badly as I could have been. At one point I backed up to a door and was about to lean on it when it opened behind me! I had to do some fancy footwork to keep from ending up sprawled on my back in the fellowship hall! One lady heard the thump and looked back at me and smiled, but I don't think most of the people knew what happened.

I'm teaching myself how to work with camera RAW photos and so far it hasn't been too difficult. Kind of fun, actually.

Pretty Bottle, Not so Great Wine

RedBottle
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

I really found this bottle attractive. There is a Sun Garden Riesling that I like very much, but their Pinot Noir is rather thin and acidic. I guess that proves the adage that a vintner doesn't always have greatness in every variety.

I shot this bottle to send to my friend Lis. She belongs to a little social chat group called the Blue Bottle Club. I sent her the photo and asked if maybe they should consider changing the name to the Red Bottle Club just because this bottle was so pretty.

It's been a bear of a day, topped with the stress of not having gas in the car. There is no gas to be found here in Indian Land (although I've heard you can wait in line to get premium), and of course my car was on fumes. They had gas in Lancaster today but I wasn't there with my car. So when I got back, I invited one of the admin assistants to use my car to run her errand down there and fill mine up. It worked well for both of us that way, although I didn't expect her to drive all the way to Heath Springs, which is about 40 miles one way! Ah well! I've got enough to gas to last me more than a week, so that's just fine. Hopefully this crisis will be over by the time I need it again.

I Got Skills. Sometimes.

I haven't posted in a while because I kept thinking "I should take some interesting photo to put on there so I can write something."

But I haven't taken any interesting photos. In fact, I took 286 Very Bad Photos last Saturday night.

This has thrown me into a photography funk. A funk in which I had convinced myself that I pretty much should not waste time taking photos. A funk in which I have not even wanted to look at good photos because they just remind me how bad mine are. It's kind of like reading the Dayton's ad when you have no money. (Dayton's is the CORRECT NAME for Marshall Fields) Why drool over stuff you can't have?

Then last night I went out to a guy's website to see some of his photos that he's taken lately. I had seen some of his work last spring. I worked alongside him shooting an event then, and was impressed with his results. So I've always thought of him as a great photographer. Greater than me. Until last night. I cruised through his site last night and saw a lot of bad photos. Photos I'd NEVER allow the internet to see. Some where the composition was okay, the lighting was okay, but he'd not even corrected the red eye.

And I found myself thinking, "I'm better than that."

So I guess we all have times like that. Sometimes we look brilliant and other times we look so bad that someone should take away our equipment and lock us up, never to see the light of day.

Foreclosures, Rant #2

You know...if you can stand another comment about the foreclosure thing...there's another aspect of this whole mess that few people (if any) think about: The children.

That's right. Today the children were brought to my attention twice. The first time was earlier today when the question was asked, "if a student's family is evicted from their home, then they will be essentially homeless. What will that do to their status in school? Especially if they are seniors and close to graduating?" I'm confident that school systems will come up with ways to allow kids to continue their schooling.

And the other is...tonight on the evening news they were talking to a mom whose little boy was running around. She said, "he doesn't want to lose the house."

I mean people! Keep those big bad problems away from from the ears of young children!

On an unrelated note: has anyone seen any of the reruns of the old Star Trek: The Next Generation series? I'm monitoring what must be one of the first seasons right now and I'm taken aback by how the acting was! Especially Counselor Troi! What a scream!

Foreclosures

Call me stupid, but I don't get the whole foreclosure thing. I don't mean how people lose their homes to their lenders because they can't make the payments. That's basic.

What I don't get is why banks will go to the expense of kicking a body out of the house and then be saddled with an empty property that is the target for vandalism and squatters and all that. I mean, are they getting such a great tax break for losing on their investment that it's worth having a home sit there empty, with grass growing as high as an elephant's eye (we have two in our neighborhood that finally got mowed by the homeowner's association)? And in the meantime, there's a family somewhere that's lost their home. Sheesh, let them live in there for $5 a month as long as they mow the grass!

Susan G Komen Race for the Cure

It's that time of year again! For the past few years I have participated with fellow Jazzercisers in the Komen Charlotte race. Each year I've raised a little more money and last year it was more than $600! I'm asking for your help again. The race is October 4.

The Susan G. Komen Foundation provides funding for breast cancer research and education, screening, and treatment programs. The Komen Charlotte unit specifically helps those underserved women in the Charlotte area.

Keeping ahead of the game is no small expense. As a person who has severely fibrocystic breast tissue, my own physician visits and diagnostic tests to ensure that I don't have any cancer cells, run into the thousands of dollars each year. Literally. I just pulled the bills from 2007 and found they totalled $3,754.30! What did that all entail? Well, I had a lump that was hurting me last January. It turned out, as it usually does, to be a cyst that had just gotten exceptionally large. Because it was miserably uncomfortable, I had it aspirated. More than $1,500 to be sure it was indeed a cyst and not a mass (something you have to do each time, even though you are certain of its' nature), and then to have the surgeon pull out the fluid.

Then I visited the Blumenthal Cancer Center, on a referral from my general practitioner. Because I do have such cystic tissue, breast exams are complicated and not terribly helpful. By becoming a regular (every 6 months) patient at Blumenthal, I am now hooked up with a surgeon that specializes in breast tissue. He does an exam and checks out anything suspicious with his handy-dandy ultrasound machine right there. This keeps me from getting on a roller coaster ride of appointments and wait times if there is anything he wants to look into further. Physician visit with ultrasound? More than $350. (Although not all visits need ultrasound. My fall visit was just a little over $250.)

And then there are the mammograms. The regular ones? They don't cut it with my dense tissue. I have to have the magical digital ones. Several hundred bucks. I'm supposed to have one of those every 6 months too, but right now I'm running a couple of months behind.

And there is the breast MRI I will now have every 2 years. $1700+.

So, that was my bill last year. My own share was about $500 because that's my deductible. I am very fortunate to have very good insurance. And access to some of the best physicians and technology available. I feel quite confident that, in the event I were to be found to have cancer, my survival chances would be very high.

But not everyone is so lucky. One in every eight women in our country will be stricken with breast cancer in their lifetime, and many do not have insurance, or they have insurance that may not cover everything they need to get the best care. The Komen Foundation is there to help.

And as a side note: Another reason why I like this charity above others: They are consistently rated among the best charities in terms of efficiency. They do not waste a bunch of their fundraising dollars on expenses and salaries.

So there you have it. If you could consider donating to Komen Charlotte, please click here or the logo above and it will take you to my fundraising page. If you'd rather not do it via the internet, send me an email and I'll give you my home address.

Thank you!
Karen

MUbamboo Towels

MUbamboo Towels
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

These are my latest favorite thing in my kitchen. I stumbled upon them at Kitchen Window in Minneapolis this summer. I was just wandering through the store when I reached out to touch these towels that were arranged in a wooden salad bowl. Immediately I was struck by how soft they were. I mean, they were so soft you could barely feel them! I could see from the tag that they were made of 80% bamboo fiber. Mensa Boy talks about hemp and bamboo quite often, so I decided to give them a whirl. I bought myself a dishrag and kitchen towel, and then another set for my friend Julie.

Once I got back home and started using them, I was impressed by how they just refuse to smell! I mean, even if SOMEONE (who shall remain nameless) insists on leaving the rag bunched up on the sink, they don't get that sour smell. The rag is very absorbent and thin enough that it wrings out well. The towel, while soft, is still quite absorbent.

So I decided I needed more. That was no easy task, I tell you. I searched Sur la Table, Williams Sonoma, Macy's, and on and on. Could not find them. I started Googling and found MU towels at Bed Bath & Beyond online. I ordered 7 different sets in different colors.

They were not the right ones. The ones that came were very thick and made of a polyester microfiber. I've seen more and more of these microfiber towels and rags and have been pretty sure that I wouldn't like them. And I did not like these. I only opened the red set and I'll be returning all the others. The fabric is very thick and doesn't wring out well. They are absorbent, that's for sure, but then it's like you can't get the liquid back out well enough to feel like you can use it more. It's kind of like how you think it would be to use velour.

So I went back to the drawing board...the internet drawing board...and found them at an online store called Linens Are Us. And they were cheaper than the wrong ones. I bought several sets of matching towels and cloths for $11.99 per set. Shipping was reasonable, too.

Bamboo fiber is supposed to have natural anti-bacterial qualities, which is why these don't seem to smell. And when I launder them, they come out of the dryer with a very faint bamboo smell (you might not notice it if you use scented detergent or softener).

So there you have it. An entire entry on the mundane subject of kitchen towels and dishcloths! And I tell you...I think I'm going to do more searching around for bamboo stuff.

Glowing Ceiling Fan

Glowing Ceiling Fan
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

Just playing around this weekend. Some of it was some real hard playing. We had the joint birthday bash here Friday night with the posse. Much wine, way too much food and a lot of very loud laughter. Mensa Boy and Taylor grilled for us and we all had side dishes and appetizers we brought. After they got done cooking they went and hid. I don't blame them!

Saturday was more relaxing. Tambri and Chris and I did our toes at T's house after a hard jazz workout and then hearty breakfast made by T's hubby Mike. Saturday night he grilled for us and Mensa Boy.

So today I just hung out. I still have some laundry in both the washer and the dryer, so I need to get that switched around. There's not a lot of incentive when it's all towels and sheets, but it still must be done.

Oh yeah, so the ceiling fan. I'm doing a mini-lesson on shutter speed for the photography class this coming week so I shot our ceiling fan at various shutter speeds. After I got the photos prepped I thought I'd play with this one for a minute. I used the "stylize" feature in Photoshop Elements.

Aperture Seminar

MaryBackyardSept08
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

The last couple of days have been a blur as I've done lesson plans and taken a lot of (mostly bad) photos for our school photography class. I volunteered to come in for each of 3 days to talk about the elements of exposure: ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed.
Yesterday was ISO and I think I bored even myself. I did show them some dramatic changes in photos when you keep all else constant but change the ISO. The problem is, all of them have point and shoot cameras, which pretty much take all the guesswork out of ISO. I took our two P&S cameras and did a series with each, adjusting the ISO over and over. Each time the camera "fixed my idiocy" by compensating and turning out a properly exposed photo.
And now I fly back to work.
Have a great day!

this n that

Friday was my birthday and it passed fairly uneventfully. My friends each called and sang happy birthday to me over the phone, some of which I captured on voicemail, others were in person. I had warm blueberry muffins delivered to my office along with some gifts and also I opened two gifts that were mailed from family in Minnesota. It was a nice day. Friday night we had BBQ ribs from the local joint and watched the first "Lord of the Rings" movie...most of it. Those are all too long for me, so we finished watching it Saturday night and then last night started in on "The Two Towers." We don't own the third one, but I think Mensa Boy may have remedied that online today through Amazon.

Saturday was the usual Jazzercise session and then several loads of laundry and some errands to run. Sunday church and then buddy Tambri and I got together and chatted and hung out for several hours, visiting with long-distance buddy Chris over the phone for about an hour. T's husband Mike made us a shrimp stirfry for supper, since my fellows were back at church for the Sunday night singfest.

This morning the posse went to our 8 a.m. Jazz class at our new location, The GYM, in Fort Mill. It was very full and fun, though a little hot. We'll have to get a handle on the AC in there. Tambri and I did some shopping at our local mall for a while this afternoon. I had her pick out the mortar and pestle she wanted for her birthday, but in the meantime I found out about something else she really wants. So I'm going to give this to Cassie to present to her at our joint party on Friday and I'll give her the other item. Now I just have to haul my keester back up there to get it. I hate going up there.

So it's been a nice weekend with activity and nothing-ness, some napping, some good food, and some movies. What more could I ask for?

Well, Nate called Friday to wish me happy birthday and in the conversation sounded like he's got some buddies to hang out with now. He went to visit his girlfriend this weekend and then she called to wish me happy birthday yesterday too. AND today he said he enjoyed his first day of classes and he might add the college symphonia to his schedule, which will give him a chance to play his trombone and get another credit. He says he'd be at that class every night at 6, so I see it as a great social opportunity for him too. So everything seems to be coming together there.

And now it's 8:30 on Monday night. Time to veg out for a bit. Perhaps more Hobbits?

My Personal Chef

startcooking
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

Tonight: burgers, beans, corn.

We are all swimming around here. It's been raining off and on since last night, which makes it all a little sleepy around here. When we aren't huddled in the hallway at school during a tornado warning, anyway. The kids handled all that pretty well, although we had a couple of adults stressing about it. By the end of the day I was pretty tired of hearing the weather radio go off, that's for sure. And rushing around while others were huddled in front of the radar pictures on their computers.

I picked up the last weekly share at the farm today and also got 5 chickens. I hate to say it, but I think I'll probably drop my share next year. Since he doesn't do the fall harvest anymore, it's gotten to be just too expensive for the amount of food we get. And I am one of the ones that drives out to the farm to pick it up, so I've got gas expenses and time on top of all that. I'll hate to let it go, but it's just not cost-effective anymore. I'm hoping he'll still leave me on the chicken and turkey list.

Nate seems to be settling a little. He did get a bee in his bonnet yesterday about his car license tabs. His voicemail to me went something like this: "I need my license tabs renewed so I don't get my car towed away." I replied, "They aren't due until September." I did go ahead and renew his along with ours and we got a notice from the state already saying we are getting entirely new plates sometime in the next 30 days.

Today it was textbooks. He said he didn't have money in his account at school for texts. We had gotten notice that a couple of places had put in extra money for books, but I guess those just go right on the bottom line, so when we borrowed the rest of the tuition, room & board money, I guess that meant we were taking into account the money for books. So I had to transfer $650 to his checking account this afternoon so he could buy books.

Zucchini Slices

Zucchini Slices
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

A couple of weeks ago, when I had a bounty of zucchini in my crisper drawer needing to be used before they went south on me, I started playing with them.

I had purchased a cut-resistant glove to wear when I'm using my mandoline slicer, and it's been so much fun now to slice away without that bulky guard, that I've been slicing and dicing like mad every chance I get.

And so I eyed the zucchini.

I sliced these very thinly and then we used them in place of spaghetti noodles with our sauce. I didn't cook them at all, just put them in down on the plate and poured the hot sauce on top. It was wonderful! The zucchini "noodles" offered a nice crunch to the spaghetti. As I ate along, some the noodles softened a bit from the heat of the sauce and that was just fine.

I'll do this again and again, I think. Although I'll probably put one of the julienne blades on next time. That will make the "noodles" a little less cumbersome on the fork.

Yesterday we took Nate to Due West, SC and dropped him off at Erskine. When the freshmen arrive, all their stuff is unloaded for them and brought to their rooms. That's the last time that happens. Everything went very quickly. The only large item Nate has is the TV, and he just had a couple of very large suitcases and a backpack. All his stuff got into the dorm in about 5 minutes. Then Mensa Boy and I essentially unpacked him while he talked to girlfriend Erin on the phone. She was coming up from Columbus, GA to see him and got lost in the country.

It took MB and I all of about 12 minutes to get everything unpacked and put away. Just in time for his roommate Matthew to show up. Boxes and boxes, furniture and computers, the microwave and refrigerator...it took several minutes for everything to arrive, and they piled it all up in front of Nate's wardrobe. So we were glad we had it all done. Nate's bed had not been lofted, so a work order will have to go in on Monday to have that done. This will necessitate just a little more moving around of the desk, dresser and bookcase, but beyond that, they are all settled. (Yes, I know you may be asking why we did his unpacking for him. Because we know him. He would not do it. He would leave everything exactly where it was dropped and just live out of the piles. And we needed our suitcases back.)

Erin finally arrived and so the four of us (Taylor stayed home) jumped in the car to go out to lunch and shopping for some final essentials (read: food) for Nate. We were gone another couple of hours doing that. By the time we got back, it was time for family and friends to leave and Nate had to go to the opening of orientation.

So. He's gone. Not totally though. He called last night at 11:15 asking us to find the piece of paper that has his Erskine email password. After MB looked around for it a bit, I remembered that Nate has it in his accordion filer in his dorm room. Yep. There it was and so MB came back to bed. I hope Nate stops calling in the middle of the night.

Freshman Orientation

Freshman Orientation
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

Our class of 2012 came for orientation on Wednesday. Yesterday was their first actual day of school. I spent the first 45 minutes on Wednesday shooting them and then last night put together a little movie with MS Movie Maker. I don't know how to host that here, but if/when I figure that out, I'll get it up.
I have lunch with Nate yesterday and then he came home and packed and worked on an online alcohol course he had to do for school. Today they (Mensa Boy is off today to help him) will pack my car, take both cars for oil changes, and all that.
Off to school!

Are YOU on the list?

Senator Obama says he'll be announcing his Vice Presidential running mate via text message.
Are you on the list?

Today Taylor starts back to school. I admit that, in my flurry to get kids registered at the high school, I really hadn't thought too much about him starting. I have intentionally NOT shopped for his school supplies, just getting him some paper and writing implements. There is usually a list as long as my arm of supplies and then he ends up not using them all. Last night he said, "What time does the bus come?" Hmmm...hadn't really thought about that one too much. I told him to shoot for 7:45 and the driver would tell him more in a few days. We are happy to have our favorite driver this year again. We didn't have him last year as his route got too large and he was moved to the other side of the neighborhood.

So Taylor will be getting himself up and out to the bus on time. This scares me a bit because he has never been good at getting up. I told him last night that he gets three times to miss the bus and then he has to come to work with me for the rest of that semester. That would mean he'd have to get up at 6 instead of 7 and come to work with me at 7. There would be nothing for him to do for 90 minutes while he waits for school to start. Hopefully that will be enough incentive to keep him on track with getting up.

We aren't leaving him out there to sink or swim, though. Mensa Boy will try to get him up before he leaves the house and then will call him 10 minutes later. I'll call or text him when it's time to get out the door. So really? He should be able to do this.

It's time. Time to get greet the kids coming back to school! Big Day! I LOVE THIS!

Cups of Derision

HannahMontanaCup
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

It hasn't stopped them from actually using them, but my guys are not too thrilled about these $1.49 Hannah Montana drinking glasses I picked up at the food kitty the other day. The photo doesn't look that great because these are the snazzy kinds of cups that change when you wiggle them around.

I See How it Is

This morning I left our bathroom to begin my day, going down to put my waffles in the toaster oven. (Lifestream Pomegran Plus waffles, I might add, which I top with natural peanut butter and dried cherries)

So back to my anecdote: I found my little vitamin tube on the counter. Each morning I fill a little metal tube with my daily vitamins and I carry it around with me until such time as I have enough food in my stomach to keep the fish oil from coming back on me...usually after lunch. The tube was still empty from yesterday, so I scooped it up and went back upstairs to fill it.

As I entered the bathroom, I noticed that Mensa Boy, in the 2.5 minutes I was gone, had spread all his stuff all the way across the bathroom counter, some of it right on the edge of my sink.

"Oh. I see how it is," I said.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"If I die prematurely you are just going to take over completely. You'll spread all the way across the bed the first night, too," I accused.

"No. I'll take all my stuff, put it over there, and leave it out!" he said.