Sleeping around

Well, this weekend went about as usual in some ways, with several invigorating rounds of "And then I was home just long enough to {essential household chore} before I had to get on the train for {prior commitment}". But it was even worse than usual because I was literally sleeping around: Saturday night in Boonies, MA, where my friends M&G live, and Sunday night at NEMC doing a diagnostic sleep study. The latter was far less comfortable than I expected, leaving me a bit tired today and also with a faint feeling that something is poking me inside my nose... sigh. I'd like to post more, but I'll have more to say when I get actual data back from it. Suffice it for now to say that they left me with glue in my hair (water-soluble, but still) and that the little microphone they taped to my throat has left me looking like I have a hickey. What a great day I chose to wear a red scoop-necked sweater.

I have to also say that M&G are doing the best job of parenting I've ever seen. I look at how they live and it seems like an art form^* -- not that they've made even close to the same choices as me, but I like how they research the hell out of everything and then they do a great job at the few things they do. They eat mostly local food, make their own shampoo, cook a lot, parent with thoughtfulness and a sense of fun, and seem to manage their stuff and money well. They somehow make pregnancy and childcare seem totally natural and reasonable, which is quite a feat. It makes me wonder what people would say about me in the same vein, if they were inspired to say that I make anything look natural at all.

^*ETA: a clarification of this comment is here.

I know it's wrong but it feels so right

Although it would make Tufte spin in his grave (if he were dead), I kind of like the data visualization here:

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/05/catchingspammer/

Yes, the weird beribboned torus is a graph, as I didn't realize until I read to the bottom of the article. It's effective too. I can even see morning and afternoon bumps in the wraps representing the five weekdays.

I think what I like so much is how it successfully represents the continuum of how each day bleeds into the next as well as how the weekend bleeds into the week.