Bean had to play a Chinese New Year gig today, and let us tag along.

You don't expect musicians to show up anywhere without feeding them. Bean says it's because they're bad people. So, between rehearsal and the real gig, they handed out these hot boxes of food. We shared one.

It came with these stringy noodles that Ivy swore was meat. It was good, sort of sweet-like. It had the strangest egg, though. It wasn't oval like a chicken egg; it was more round I guess? It was green on the inside, though, and tasted salty.

I overheard Bean and her friend talking about how it was 'traditional' cuisine, the sort you can only get in a Chinese restaurant if you're Chinese, so I should have figured it out right there.

Bean turned to us. "I can't believe you're enjoying that stuff."

"It's pretty good," said Kirsten. "I really like the noodles."

"What?" She looked straight at Ivy. "Ivy Ling, you didn't tell them what they were eating?"

Ivy giggled. "But they seem to like beef intestine and pickled platypus egg -- "

OH GOD OH GROSS OH WHY

I don't think I've ever seen Jess hork up anything that fast.

Does anyone really hate having to be smarter than their human?

Like when your human comes home out of a snowstorm at midnight and she's coughing and you have to force her into some pajamas and into bed?

Or when your human wakes up and she's still all stopped up and you more or less have to force the Mucinex down her throat?

Life's just awesome.

Wah! Bean says she's making me wash my hair today! I don't have to do the whole Downy thing, but Bean insists that I do wig shampoo "to get some of the goo or whatever the heck" out of my hair. I don't understand why I'm washing Mr. Goo out of my hair.

Maybe after that I can get to dying it again.

But, still, a whole day of laying still while my hair dries is no fun. I'd better get something awesome for this. Like a puppy. Or six.

I decided that maybe Mini Molly should wash her hair too, but when I looked into those little bitty glass gray eyes I just couldn't tell her. Maybe I just need to work on my cute looks.

So, I've had a wild thought today --

You think I should put more colors in my hair?

Or different ones?

I was considering adding some new streaks to my blue -- because my blue hair is TOTALLY NATURAL REALLY I SWEAR IT. Maybe green? Teal? No pink, though. Pink would look stupid in my hair anyway. Light blue?

Opinions?

We lost the stupid Halloween costume contest this year. Again. Uncle David made our costumes, and they were the stiffest, hardest-to-wear costumes EVER. But they did something cool ... you'll have to see the album.

Still don't know who that new person is. Hrm.

Hey! Go check out our_dolls_snark!

Bean told me that someone I used to know is coming to live here. What? I asked her if she got a new American Girl doll. "Of course not," said Bean, "five AG dolls are enough."

... guys, I think that hamster I killed when I was in second grade is coming back in a bad way.

Dear Jess,

Yes. The new JLY looks exactly like you.

But I also want to sleep.

Quit yelling.

-- Sara

Mr. McCain's vice president lady STOLE MY NAME AND THAT IS NOT COOL.

So Uncle David and Bean are going to Atlanta. They're going to see Uncle T. J., and it's fine with me if I don't go see Uncle T. J., 'cause he's weird. Also, he doesn't like the original Star Trek, so why even bother?

Bean told us that Ivy should go. When Bean told her, she got way excited.

"That's the grooviest thing ever!" she shouted. "I'm going to go get all my eight track tapes right now for the ride down there! I hope you guys like ABBA as much as I do!"

Jess looked at me as Ivy zipped off humming Dancing Queen.

"See," she said, "I can't decide if Kirsten and Nellie are more humiliating to have around, or if Ivy is." Which is pretty true. We'll have to teach Ivy to listen to Air Supply or whoever on her iPod.

Oh man, I think Bean is sick. She thought she was doing okay, got up, cleaned up the kitchen, and then started feeling really awful.

She's laying down in bed right now drinking gatorade because she's hoping it will make her throw up. I don't get why a human would WANT to throw up, but whatever.

If she starts feeling better, then we get to do cake and presents for Kirsten today! Happy birthday Kirsten! But if she doesn't ... I dunno. She says she'll make a cake later, and Kirsten's totally cool with that, but I'm kind of worried. I hope everyone's okay. Uncle David will be really upset if he doesn't get cake, too.

But this is important: HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIRSTEN YAAAAAY!