Oh Kathy, that's so great. My mother says she won't marry again, and I think she probably won't, but I try to make sure she understands it is fine with me.

Yay for well seasoned love. Enjoy the packing, and best wishes to the happy couple.

Wolfram, I hope this opportunity turns out to be just what you want it to be. And how great for you to be 'short listed'. That must feel good.

I have only one minor addition to what everyone else has said about the letter you propose being a good idea.

You don't actually have to justify your position regarding the 'not wanting to shell out big dough' point. All the employer needs to know is that you are prepared to invest in the bar as soon as an offer is made...regardless of cost.

Of course, it would be GREAT if they'd pay the fee, which they might do once you are on board, but in any case, you are prepared. Period. Your current finances are not their business. What you will DO for them is.

Besides, if the firm needs you to sign in blood that you will risk a large sum of money on spec, what else might they require later?

This is reminding me of...I think it's Shells...were Gunn suggests that the gang doesn't mind Drogan being sacrificed as long as the senior partners won't be wanting another sacrifice later on.

Giving up stuff before you get stuff is a bad precedent in the world of work.

A great, and tragically out of print but still available on the 'nets, book that covers how to negotiate into a job really well: "Contgratulations, You've Been Fired" by Emily Koltnow. Really sound advice.

Greatest luck to you!

Beej, you just made me want to watch Angel, Season 5. I've been too sad it's gone, to watch my DVDs I got for my birthday in early March. Thanks.

All the best to MomAstrom and Wayne -- they sound wonderful together.

I just finished watching S3 and realized that I loved S1, 2, first half of 3 and 5 with a warm and glowing love. S3.5 and 4? NSM.

I keep Netflixing seasons and watching them over and over again. Sad. Sad. Sad. (both the loss of the show and my pathetic obsession.)

I forgot to mention this on Tuesday, but I had a minor celebrity siting.

I was taking BART over to collect Emmett and spotted this model-beautiful young black woman. She was nuzzling on another person who I could not quite see until I realized the recipient was Me'Shell NdegéOcello. They got off at Berkeley.

Weird roommate stuff deleted.

Jesus, that's creepy Sean.

Oh, ew, Sean!

I went through that at one point too, where my landlady/housemate had a boyfriend whom I discovered in the course of conversation was a racist and an anti-Semite. He wanted to know how I could be Catholic, if Jesus was Jewish.

... yeah, it made no sense to me, either. Since I always thought that half the point of anti-Semitism was that they weren't in fact Christian. Confused the hell out of me.

Thankfully, she broke up with him not long afterwards. I never did tell her about that conversation. But she must have known.

Creeptastic Sean. How awful to have that crap under your roof.

Password protection is your friend.

As are frequent and loud playings of They Might Be Giants' "You And Your Racist Friend."

Yeeesh.