It isn't really peculiar, Strega. I'm one of the few girls from my high school who didn't push out a kid within two years of graduation, so it probably seems off to her, maybe even a pity, that I don't have kids and a husband.

Joining in the "WTF?" response to Allyson's e-mail, and also adding my "Woo-hoo!" to the SciFi plug for your book, which I cannot wait to read, btw!

In Internets news, Google is celebrating Arthur Conan Doyle's birthday today (speaking of, I saw Finding Neverland for the first time last week, and didn't realize that Ian Hart was playing Doyle until the end credits).

"Are you still single and childless?"

Coming from a few people I was friends with in high school, this would be totally appropriate, given me and well...them. Because we were a little bit bent that way.

If it has you going wtf, sounds like assholitis, inappropriate socialization or well, there's got to be a charitable explanation in there that doesn't indict the sender somewhere, but I'm not the one to find it.

Some of it is going toward time off to finish it at the end of the month.

How appropriate. Do you have a deadline as to when it has to be completely finished, from your end?

The rest goes into savings. And maybe a teeny bit toward nephew spoilage.

So the best of all worlds, in a way?

ita, I hope your day improves. and your week, too, now that the subject has come up.

Google is celebrating Arthur Conan Doyle's birthday today

Thanks, Kathy. This is what I was coming to Natter to post, but then msbelle's spirit got the brain side of the hivemind and I completely forgot.

This is a fun article:

Little Knox College rates big names as commencement speakers

The president of Knox College, Roger Taylor, wouldn't want you to think he's gloating.

But he is.

That's because Knox is proving to be The Little College That Could -- could land the nation's coolest commencement speakers, that is.

This year, Stephen Colbert, star of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report," will address the Class of 2006 on June 3.

Which may or may not top last spring's coup, when Sen. Barack Obama flew in from the capital to speak to Knox's Class of 2005.

...

Getting Obama was a feat. But getting Colbert? That even impressed Obama.

"He said, `What? Stephen Colbert? How did you get him?" said Taylor, recalling an exchange he had with Obama when he saw the senator in December.

And my life in fraud gets weirder and weirder -- they (the perps!) made a payment on the Neiman-Marcus account! It wasn't from my actual account, which is something, I guess.

I guess they don't want to ruin their/your credit rating??

The line was: I take it it your still single and childless? :) I wish i was sometimes!!! LOL

And then she talked about her kids.

I took a stab back since she mentioned she heard that Rob, a boy we knew in high school, was all buff and tattooed and hot.

I replied that we dated after college, and could confirm the hotness.

Do you have a deadline as to when it has to be completely finished, from your end?

My personal deadline is June 1st, the editor's deadline is July 1st. I just want the time for a couple of beta reads, so I can tighten things up.

Her first question: "Are you still single and childless?"

My response would be. "Yes I am gloriously single and childfree. You are, clearly, quite the bitch."

ETA: Okay, maybe she was joking so, less bitchy, but still a weird response from someone you hadn't heard from in years.

Jesse that sounds like the perfect use for your grad money.

I want someone to email me and ask me that rude question. Using "LOL" in the body of the e-mail is just a bonus.