Cup XX: If I Had a Million Dollars, I Would Buy a Lot of Kleenex

Tea: Blood Orange, ginger added, with honey (but no Dijon ketchup)

Music: Barenaked Ladies, "If I Had $1,000,000"

Time: Afternoon

Stupid allergies. My head's all full of junk, and tonight's First Friday. Can't miss that. Well, I could. But I'd miss the art -- even if there's not likely to be a Picasso (or a Garfunkel) on hand --and the chance to make contacts.

I'm turning into a schmoozer. Oh, well.

And on top of things, my tendinitis is back for its semiannual visit. Left heel, this time. So I'm using the tea to wash down a couple of ibuprofen, too.

Here's hoping everything kicks in by the time I head down to the Crossroads. If not, I'll be easy to spot (or hear) from a couple of blocks away. Just watch for the limping, listen for the sniffling. But if everything goes right, I'll be unstuffed and fully bipedal. In which case, you'll just have to look for the mismatched socks.

Today's creepy story, selected in haste because the annoyingly law-abiding junior daughter needs the computer for homework. (Doesn't she know Friday afternoons are for slacking?)

M.R. James, "The Mezzotint"