I believe my neighbor has a peahen.

Nothing else makes that noise, save a lone raven with laryngitis, and there aren't any ravens here. With laryngitis or without.

It's been a nice two days off. Latest on the reading list is "Restoration London", by Liza Picard, which details (among other things) the story of a man named Nicholas If-Jesus-Had-Not-Died-For-Thee-Thou-Hadst-Been-Damned* Barbon, son of Praise-God Barebones. No kidding.

And that thing about the four-and-twenty blackbirds baked in a pie, that all fly out and frighten the king? That was apparently a common joke in the Restoration period. A pie crust was blind-baked (that is, baked empty), the birds inserted in the bottom, alive, the top stuck on, and then the dish brought to the table. When the guest of honor whacked off a piece of top crust, out flew the birds to general merriment. Those Restoration Londoners sure knew how to have fun, huh?

*My sister's comment: "I want a name that has the correct use of subjunctive case!!"

Insomnia project: The Nurse's Survival Kit, Revised and Updated.

1. Good shoes. I don't know how many times I have to say this. Good, heavy, LEATHER shoes with closed toes. And don't buy backless clogs unless you've proven in the past you can run in them.

Dansko, purveyors of dangerous Professional clogs, also makes a sort that are much more sane (with a wider heel base). They're called Dansko@Work.

2. A little tube of Lamisil, for when the skin between your toes begins to crack. This will happen, no matter how careful you are with cotton socks.

3. A little jar of Vicks Vapo-Rub. Good for achy feet, good for smearing under your nose or in your mask before that nasty dressing change. Trust me on this one; you don't want to be without it.

4. Good hand cream. Not that Corn Husker's crap; *good* hand cream. Like ShiKai or Burt's Bees or even Neutrogena. Use it every night when you get home.

5. Belgian ale. I strongly recommend Orval.

Tomorrow, a discussion: Does being in management automatically decimate your IQ?