There was a tragic, yet potentially interesting, development at the Jedi household today.

It all started a few days ago--the boys had gotten a little money ahead and decided to make some improvements to the house. They'd put in a small swimming pool and had a fireplace installed, and they'd bought a new rug for the living room--the combination that proved their undoing.

They had gone out in the evening after work and had a quick swim, then, while Qui-Gon had a shower, Obi-Wan prepared dinner. After Qui-Gon got out of the shower and dressed, he turned on the television and lit a fire in the fireplace. He had just sat down to relax when a spark from the fireplace set the new rug on fire.

By the time Obi-Wan, in the kitchen, heard Qui-Gon's screams and ran into the living room to try to put the fire out, it was too late. The whole room was engulfed in flames.

The fire department came, but although they eventually succeeded in putting out the fire, they weren't able to save Qui-Gon.

Fortunately (or unfortunately, as it turned out), Obi-Wan retained enough presence of mind to plead with the Grim Reaper when he showed up to claim Qui-Gon. He begged for his friend's life to be spared, but the Grim Reaper, as is so often the case, was unsympathetic.

He does have a sense of humor, though--instead of either allowing Qui-Gon to live, or allowing him a dignified death, he turned him into a zombie.

Once all the excitement was over, Zombie-Qui sat down to watch television--a horror movie, of course--while Obi-Wan cleaned up from the fire. Then he showered and went to bed, still needing to sleep, apparently.

Obi-Wan was up half the night cleaning, and he, of course, needed some time to recover from the shock of Qui-Gon's sudden death and equally sudden transformation, so he stayed home from the work the next day, while Zombie-Qui went off to his job at the hospital. While Zombie-Qui was at work, Obi-Wan tore out the fireplace--he didn't want to run the risk of another fire--and bought a new rug.

The next day, while he was at work, Zombie-Qui came home from work early and tore out all the tulips and daffodils and replaced them with Tears of the Clown and Albino Poppies.

Later, he refused to cook and ordered a pizza. It will be interesting to see what develops. I fear Christmas may not be the usual happy event this year.

Bob's mother called this morning and said she had a birthday gift for me, but she didn't have a car--Bob's dad had borrowed hers while his was in the shop--so she asked me to come over and pick it up if I wanted, and of course I did.

She had a Winnie-the-Pooh teakettle for me, one that I had seen when we were at Disney World last year and coveted, but didn't buy because a) it was expensive and b) I didn't want to carry it home.

When Bob came home, he did his rendition of "I'm a Little Teapot."

The only other thing I did today was get a full service car wash and oil change. I really kind of like getting that done if I don't have to be anyplace in a hurry--they have a pleasant waiting room, and I always take a book, and they're usually very nice. It doesn't seem very expensive--about $30--and they do an excellent job. And it makes me feel virtuous.