Here we are in Helen, GA, for our yearly gathering with friends and I can't get online to chat about it! They have free wi-fi here (I'm borrowing someone's laptop that has wi-fi), but I just have a modem on my PDA (we didn't take the laptop, but it wouldn't have been of much use anyway). Every time I call the local access number it says the line is busy and has since last night. I phoned Earthlink, but there's only one access number in the area. There are other 706 numbers, but I don't know if they're long distance within calling area or not. Whatever. I used the local number last time we were here and it worked fine.

James had to work yesterday, so I took the animals to the vet myself. Wil was supposed to have her teeth cleaned, but the vet told me that they were worried about the results of the blood test that they took last week. Two of Willow's liver function levels are higher than normal and they're afraid she has an infection; they won't do a teeth cleaning if she is sick. She now has to take antibiotics for the next three weeks and then needs another blood test. The vet is afraid she might have hepatitis or perhaps even Cushing's disease, which is an adrenal-pituitary problem. Oh, great.

I asked if it might have anything to do with stress—she's been majorly stressed out since we moved, especially bristling at the Lhasa Apso next door. The vet said even with stress it shouldn't be that high.

Pidgie, on the other hand, sang all the way to the vet. His carry box was next to Willow sitting in the passenger seat and every time Wil bobbed her head, Pidge tried to grab the "string" on "Sister's" face.

James didn't get out until 6:30, so I basically parked myself in his parking lot (I had taken him to work) a little after four and read a couple of cheap magazines I'd bought earlier. Also set up my new XM Radio. I have been more and more disgusted with the Sirius choices of late—combining the 40s channel and Standards, dropping Jerry Doyle's show, starting up these extremely narrow focus channels like those for Jimmy Buffett and Elvis and the Rolling Stones and Cosmo, the horrible Christmas music they had in December, their extremely small playlists; it's just been piling up. Brandsmart had an XM Roady XT for only $8.88 after the rebate (I've already sent for it), so I got one and started it on Friday. I had done a 3-day tryout online and I loved their "Sunny" channel and "Frank's Place" (the Standards channel) and they also have a movie music channel as well as a Broadway one and another radio theatre type channel that has dramatized stories as well as audiobook readings. And their Atlanta traffic channel is stand-alone; it doesn't share with Miami or any other city.

If it works out I will just drop the Sirius service. James can try out if he likes; XM seems always to be having deals.

So we reached the hotel about 9 p.m. Were up until after two chatting with friends.

This morning we went into Helen (which converted to an Alpine motif in the 70s after business died out and became a tourist haven in the North Georgia mountains). Walked about the shops and bought a few little things for the house, but left early because the Tour de Georgia bicycle race was coming through town and they were shutting the main street down. We came back to the lodge to chat and relax and had supper at the Lodge restaurant. Came back to the common area near our rooms and I played Uno (we all play a mean game of Uno) and then Cranium with friends while James played a rocketship game with Jerry Lawson of Milblog.

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. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 10:40:00 PM

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