Nilly, I thought of you this morning, and yesterday morning, as well. Yesterday, I was up long before dawn. When the sky began to lighten, I still didn't know it had started to snow. When I went to refill my coffee, I saw it, and wished you could be here. This morning, it is a sterotypical New England winter wonderland outside my windows. The snow even stuck to the wooden grids on the outside of the windows, the way it would on a cliche-ridden TV show in a winter setting. It's just gorgeous. I don't have sound hooked up on my PC, but there's a video here: [link] if you look down just a little bit, under the heading "weather" you'll see a headline about the storm slamming Massachusetts, and then a link that reads "a messy commute" (it's a javascript link, so I can't link directly) next to an icon of a video camera. It shows the snow plows and reporters presumably interviewing people about how tought the driving is, but I also saw a few seconds of trees blowing in the snow, etc.

I have to start my turkey soup from my Christmas left-overs, so we can have a nice, warm supper, tonight. I wish I had ingredients to make bread.

A Bronzer friend is flying in from Northern Ireland to Boston, today (it's Catriona, for the bi-boardal amongst us). She's going on a ski holiday in New Hampshire, and will be in Boston for a few hours next Sunday. I hope to meet up with her. She called me last night. As is typical, I was in tears, to have her be so real that I could finally hear her voice (and lovely accent, too).

Yay, Hil!

When I checked my grades I was rather surprised to have received an A in a class where I was expecting an A-, due to the fact that I had never received an A on anything in that class, but I had received a bunch of A-'s. But we never got our third paper back, and I also have no idea what I got on my final. However, I had another class where the teacher told me I had received an A for the class, and yet the final grade posted was an A-. I've also found that teachers often think an A- is just as good of a grade as an A, and they think you're crazy if you question how you can do better.

But I'm wondering if I should email the teacher to see what the hell happened, or if I should just accept it, especially since I did receive that other (unexpected) A.

It's raining here, and cold, for here. I have to get dressed and get to work, but I am very tempted to just stay in my jammies and read firefly quotes and then use it as an excuse to watch firefly.

Your plan sounds better than going to work, Lee. Besides, no one really expects anyone to do anything when it's raining. Too much of a strain. And people, like, drive crazy and stuff. You would be risking life and limb to go out in that. Plus it's the holidays. When people deserve to be off, watching Firefly.

Lee, plan B, baybee. Plan B.

Cindy, thank you.

Ali, why not just ask for the reason for the change from A- to A, not in a "I coul do better" way, but rather in a "what made the difference?" way, if I'm making myself clear.

Also, Lee, Alibelle, with all her As and stuff, is smart, and you should follow her advice.

I'm just barely a cultural Christian. It is reasonably often that it is assumed without evidence that I'm male, white, American and Christian. Thank dog I'm not a lesbian, say I.

It is irritating. And I know that people that wish me a Merry Christmas aren't trying to oppress me, and I'd be much more likely to fly off the handle at someone that wished me a happy Kwanza. I like to start my guessing with the vaguest, not with the most prominent. It's my version of politeness. It's not possible to apply it universally, but I don't really guess race or religion or orientation, and consider it disrespectful of me (please note -- "of me" before anyone decides I'm harshing on them) to go ahead with an assumption on any of them.

It's raining here, and cold, for here. I have to get dressed and get to work, but I am very tempted to just stay in my jammies and read firefly quotes and then use it as an excuse to watch firefly.

There's really no question as to what you should do.

I'm not Christian, but I wish people a Merry Christmas on Christmas Day, because I figure it's Christmas whether you are celebrating it or not, and it might as well be merry.

I have a friend who really doesn't like getting wished Happy Holidays, especially after Hannukah has passed, because he figured whoever is saying it really means "Merry Christmas" and is just trying to be non-objectionable and for some reason that bugs him more. I don't fully understand it myself, but there are certainly anti-"Happy Holidays" types out there.

You're making perfect sense, as always, Nilly. And I think I will email him, because I really am curious about the change. Since we had exactly one assignment, and I got an A. Maybe I'll have to ask about a No Takebacks rule. Hmm.

And now I can't resist. HAPPY KWANZAA, ita! If it helps, I don't think I've ever assumed you were male, white, American, Christian, or gay, though.