Two things happened of note.

One is that last night I replaced the vacuum cleaner. I'd been thinking for a while that my old vac just wasn't doing the trick. So I bought a new, bagless one, assembled it in a rush just before quiet hours in my building started, and vacuumed about 1/2 the carpet.

The bagless plastic thing that collects dust, the thing that you empty, was full. Of cat hair. Gray cat hair, to be precise. It was matted and braided and jammed up in the upper filter, too.

The carpet looks astonishing. I'm going straight home to vacuum again after work. A bit more thoroughly this time. It's quite a shock when you realize you've been walking on a carpet of cat hair for the last few months.

The other thing, the thing that had me in stitches all afternoon, is that I made a mock cover for the mag using a picture of my friend Micah at age 10. He's a fellow designer; it was meant to be a trick and a joke. I sent out the mock, godawful, teen rag-inspired cover to my department with a small note asking for feedback, thinking they'd get it.

I got an email from one person saying a christian mag shouldn't have the word 'gossip' on the cover.

I got two emails from directors that quite obviously took the entire thing absolutely seriously.

So I had to explain. I've been laughing hysterically at the OOPS for about an hour now. My face hurts, I explained and every time I saw someone new in the hall they'd start laughing, I'd start laughing...

Oh dear. Paybacks being terrible and all, I'm sure I'm in for it.

MG