We never created any such folklore on 38th Street. Aside from us cousins, I don't remember socializing much with anyone in the area (was there anyone our age in the area?).

It got cold around here today, a real bummer after about a week of mild temperatures. Last night the rain turned to ice, so walking to Mass this morning was a lot like a winter Olympic event (no, probably more exciting than that). There were several times I came close to falling on my ass -- but all was well thanks to my goat-like balance.

My eyes have improved greatly since yesterday: no more goop forming concrete crusties along the edges of my eyelids. All in all, it was two days of nastiness -- followed by a full day (today) of washing all clothing and bedding to try to eliminate the vicious microbes.