We’re buying a house! Codenamed Lawneater, because it’s the house that ate its own lawn.

I’m celebrating with a sinus infection and antibiotics. Do I know how to party or what?

Especially those who avoid gluten, eggs, or milk, because this may interest you.

Trader Joe’s has new cookies out called Soft-Baked Snickerdoodles. They’re chewy sugar cookies dusted with cinnamon. They are SOOO delicious. Om nom nom! It’s hard not to eat the whole box (mm, cardboard packaging).

Of course, lots of things at Trader Joe’s are delicious. But these cookies are free of the eight major allergens.

As allergic people will tell you–it’s hard to find good desserts with no dairy, gluten, soy, or eggs. Much less no peanut or tree nut. (Fish and shellfish are somewhat less commonly found in desserts…)

Ingredients: sorghum flour, date paste, grape, apple and pear juice concentrates, brown pure cane sugar, expeller-pressed vegetable oil (safflower oil and/or sunflower oil), natural rice dextrin, ground flaxseed, water, xanthan gum, baking soda, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, rosemary extract.

Trader Joe’s isn’t paying me for this post, but they should be!

Hey guys. I’m looking for new writing music. Currently what I want is:

1) upbeat/lively
2) tribal/world fusion or rock
3) no lyrics (at least not in a language I know)

I want things like Salaryman and Industrial Monk. Anyone have suggestions I could check out? Thanks.

My husband works for Playfirst, a game company in downtown San Francisco. They’re hiring. Here’s the listings. Pay is good and environment is awesome. Very dot-com, in a good way. Let me know if you’re interested and we might be able to get your resume to the right people. Feel free to pass this along.

Current Openings
Senior Software Engineer (AS3)
Data Warehouse Engineer
Senior Software Engineer (iPhone and iPad)
Senior Software Engineer (Web)

Finishing earnings season, working on FOGcon, writing a novel, generally busy. But for relaxation, I’m playing video games. I’m totally into Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journeys right now.

There’s a creature called a Pisaca in this game. Doesn’t it look like someone crossed Jar-Jar Binks with a giant vagina?

Here’s Prashkina’s Fire, which is up at Beneath Ceaseless Skies and will be a podcast as well in a few months.

I am so swamped with everything right now–earnings season, novel-writing, buying a house–that I have had zero time to post. I’ll be back soon. Incidentally, the first house contract fell through (truly a bizarre story) and we’re in a second contract now for a house I like even better.

Augh! On Monday, there will be a rally in favor of Johannes Mehserle out here in Walnut Creek. Mehserle is the BART cop who shot Oscar Grant, an unarmed man who was restrained at the time. [Here’s the news story if you missed it.]

Mehserle got off light. He doesn’t need a rally. 😛

ETA: I hope this house-buying works out so I can leave Walnut Creek. The house is back in El Cerrito, where I used to live.

We’re in contract for a house. Inspections are on Thursday. Eep!

This cartoon about the writing process is completely and utterly brilliant.

I’m currently lost somewhere near the self-doubt signs on my current project. Time to refuel and head for the expressway.

Thanks for the link, anghara.

Is anyone hosting a World Cup party on Sunday, and may I shamelessly invite myself over? I’ll bring food!