I'm about to go back and read the terrible tale of Christopher, but first, before I do, this:

P-C, I met a lovely Indian girl about your age on my flight (actually I met 3, but one stood out as being awesome). I totally should've talked you up to her and her parents...except they were on their way back to India, where they live. But that's details; I think I'll carry your photo and email addy with me to give out, just in case.

As long as someone else brought it up first, I should mention that although I don't actually know any single Indian women, I am friendly with a handful of Indian postdoc fellows in my division and in the PICU. Unfortunately, they're all married, but they're also all very nice and kind and smart and pretty, and they could conceivably have single friends who are also nice and kind and smart and pretty and science-geeky.

And one of them is a first-generation USian with zero-generation parents, whose family went through the whole cultural influences and expectations balancing act as the kids grew up and made their way out into the world and who didn't end up all destroying each other. She's superhugely cool and I've been thinking about trying to do a bit of non-worky socializing with her anyhow, so she may possibly be available at some future point for venting and hairpats and "Been there, done that, came out the other side in one piece" advice. If you're interested.

Every birthday cake from here on in needs to square and white. No writing. No candles.

You should buy him a box of Chiclets every month or so.

Every birthday cake from here on in needs to square and white. No writing. No candles.

"What do you think? Does it look like a tooth? Well, swallow it."

{{{Cindy}}} Oh the bizarreness and scariness. Freaking smart kids doing unexplainable things

I love Eco. Name of the Rose hooked me (and these days reminds me of Sick Boy from Trainspotting and his lack of moral fibre), but Foucoult's Pendulum is the one that relly sticks in my brainpan. I've been slowly reading his later novels, and they are interesting and weird but do not inspire the OMG Loveof those first two. I honestly do not remember a lot of passages in other languages, but I'm quite good at skimming over things I don't understand.

Sorry about the fuel pump, Raq. Hope it is easy to acquire a working one.

JZ, Cashmere, and PMM, insent.

And one of them is a first-generation USian with zero-generation parents, whose family went through the whole cultural influences and expectations balancing act as the kids grew up and made their way out into the world and who didn't end up all destroying each other. She's superhugely cool and I've been thinking about trying to do a bit of non-worky socializing with her anyhow, so she may possibly be available at some future point for venting and hairpats and "Been there, done that, came out the other side in one piece" advice. If you're interested.

Sure!

Matt has read both The Name of the Rose and the one I can't spell. He had a hard time with the second one, which is rare, but I think he thought it was worht it. I am another that never finished the name of the Rose. Got distracted part way thru I think

See, now I feel like I must make it through this book and not give up. The only book I can recall starting and not finishing is Interview with the Vampire.

Oh, that totally doesn't count, like, half the books for my English classes in college.

I have decided that it is the Ick's fault that I am watching Charmed. I used to really like the show, but it has gotten rather silly.