It niggles

Of late, I have discovered that I have no good insult for someone who's being wilfully nasty or stupid on purpose or just generally getting in the way for no good reason. I'm looking for a word that's profane, but not too profane, like something you could use in front of your parents if they're just slightly understanding but which you would never dream of saying to your grandmother, and which is also (for preference) not in common usage.

Strangely, this really feels like something that I knew and used at one point but which I have forgotten in the past few weeks, which let me tell you is an extremely weird feeling, sort of like when you're wandering around the house wondering what it is you were about to do and trying to remember but really having NO IDEA if there even WAS anything or if you just think there was. Or like when you're packing to go away for the weekend, so anything you forget isn't too important, but you still feel like you forgot something and even if it's not important it's niggling at you. Niggling, I say.

Can anyone help me?

Dr Appt

My doctors' appointments lately have been spawning. I came out of the last one with three or four more to make (and, incidentally, an arm that swelled up to one-and-a-half times its normal size and wasn't usable for two weeks. Kids, just say no to pneumonia vaccines).

So last I checked I had three appointments on Monday- one at the podiatrist (I'm excited. I've never been to a podiatrist before!) and two at a lung doctor (exercise-induced asthma! More fun! Actually I'm happy about this one, because yesterday or the day before I realized that I never run anywhere anymore because if I do I CANNOT BREATHE. And now I have medicine. Which is better). When I got the appointment reminder call this morning they only reminded me about two of the putative three appointments. So I said, Wait, weren't there supposed to be three? And the guy said, Yeah, the third one was cancelled. And I said, Huh? Did I cancel it in my sleep or something? And he said, We'll have to reschedule it, there's been an unexpected death. And I said, Huh? And he said, Dr Mdlikhbvoi passed away unexpectedly. And I said, Oh, shoot, I'm so sorry.

I told this story to Susanna. She thought I was joking. Just goes to show.

Italian food

Jay has found the World's Best Italian Restaurant. You have to come visit so that I can take you there.

Today I had the best risotto I have ever eaten. The chef walked by our table and I practically fell on his feet raving. He smiled shyly and said thank you.