No wonder it's finally gotten so cool, here. Robin's in state.

Robin, that sounds so great. My best friend from college was from Pittsfield. You're making me all Berkshire nostalgic.

So does "drek" = shit or is it "dreck" (since you had a "(sp?)" in there?

I was worried more about the "es", but I think it is "dreck" - at least that produces more google matches.

I was worried more about the "es", but I think it is "dreck" - at least that produces more google matches.

I've seen it transliterated either way. I think that the formal transliteration system that's usually used would make it "drek," but there's really no good reason for someone writing informally not to spell it however.

Oooh, Scrappy's in MA? Not coming further eastward, are you?

For a ceremony at the time of the funeral or near to it, I would use "memorial service."

I guess a funeral or memorial service connotes a personal ceremony, for the whole person, while a commemorative ceremony would be for the deceased person's public achievements or public persona.

Thanks, Raq. I'll forward this to him.

Kermit waves at Nilly.

Timelies,

Gronk. Have not been able to fall asleep lately. Didn't help that I was on a roll writing last night and didn't finish up until after 11 and then was coasting on the writing high for about a half hour after that before I finally started getting tired and then it still took me over an hour to fall asleep. Ugh.

Kermit waves

A foreign student who does his PhD here is from East Germany. As I discovered today, he's hardly ever heard about the Muppets before. I think I didn't shut my mouth for ten minutes straight, telling him how much I love them and how great they are and "not just for children". Lots of "Kermit was my first tv love!" mentions were interwoven in between. Then he talked about his first tv love, which was from a Russian puppets show. Then he asked whether I wanted to marry Kermit. At that point I started talking about "The Storyteller" because one of the stories there seems to be Russian (it had the tzar (sp?) in it).

Which means, um, hi right back, Frank! How are you doing?

[Edited because as much as physics may be difficult, I still didn't see anybody who "dies his PhD".]

Frank! How are you doing?

Not bad. The weather has gotten really nice since the inferno that was Saturday/early Sunday. Work's craxy, but that's per usual. Once I get through this week, things should be a bit better, and I'm hoping to take a few days off next week.

Did you know they've started releasing complete seasons of The Muppet Show on DVD?

It was cool enough this morning that I put on a sweatshirt when I went downstairs! And the cat stayed on my bed all night, instead of wandering the house in search of a mythical cool spot.