Thank you, ita. I was a-gonna say something.

Dragons hoard their gold. To keep it safe from the marauding horde of...hobbitses, I guess.

Oooh, walnut pasta sauce? Do tell.

I've never figured out why, when you're wearing headphones, people seem to think you want them to talk to you. IMO, headphones are an adult's version of the kid's sign on the door, "Keep Out, and this means you."

I've never figured out why, when you're wearing headphones, people seem to think you want them to talk to you.

Amen. This is especially true if you are outside and clearly walking for exercise. If I'm up to a clip of 4mph, I do not want to stop cold. I especially do not want to stop for cars that slow down so the driver can yell at me asking for directions. I've learned to yell "Keep going straight and you'll hit (Manchester/Lindbergh/Woodlawn/whatever)" as I walk. I am not going to stop and give you detailed directions to some side street I've never heard of.

At least the headphones allow me to pretend I don't hear them.

I've never figured out why, when you're wearing headphones, people seem to think you want them to talk to you.

I KNOW! Chatty either missed the memo or just doesn't give a shit. After thirty minutes, I gave up and moved to the stairmaster.

It's something from the 100 best pasta sauces or something. Let me go grab the book. I didn't follow the recipe at all but we'll start with what they say and move on to what I actually did.

2 oz parm
7 oz walnuts
7 oz olive oil
2 oz butter
3 oz cream
Whirl
Serve on spinach and cheese ravioli.

I just whirled some walnuts, some parm and then put it on fresh pasta dotted with butter.

Still damn yum. Walnuts and parm seem to have a nice sort of slashy chemistry together.

walnut and parm slash. hee.

Well the original was altogether too rich. I just pulled out the yummy parts and let them romp together. Turns out, yum.

I got an A! I got an A! I got an A on my first paper/take home exam for my first grad school class! Now, I won't do this every time I get a paper back but I am so happy I have to share her comments.

"Nora- On the whole, you have written an excellent paper. You have an eloquent historical discussion and you weave the two characteristics together in an effective and illustrative fashion. Your use of sources is sound and varied. I feel your discussion of challenges...could be a bit more focused - but I think this is largely an issue of the space limitations of the paper. Well done. A"

I blow kisses to Ginger and Deena, they know why.

Much ~ma to Betsy, brenda, Nicole, and juliana. Maria, I still love you even though you are wearing white in NOVEMBER OH NOES. vw, I'm glad you had a good dr's visit. Keep an breathing, please.

Long day, had a conference today and had to go to class afterward. Class was pretty good though I was sleepy and then I got the paper back just when I had psyched myself up that I had totally sucked ass on it (she had made some general comments about all the papers as a whole) then I got the paper and IT WAS AN A.

So, so happy. Then we ate middle eastern food at a place in Central Square called Zuzu's (owned by the same folks who own the Middle East) and we are at the hotel and I got an A on the first piece of academic work I've done for over 10 years and I am very, very pleased with myself.

There may have been a song about it.

Good job, Nora! The water wasn't as cold as you thought, eh?

Go Nora, you studious academic!