No wonder I never ran into a 33rd degree.

My stepmother sent me all my father's and grandfather's Masonic stuff (the Bible in code, etc). I actually felt wrong looking at it.

There was also this really old cup with some dried brownish stuff in it. I threw it out.

RAQ THREW AWAY THE GRAIL

I have my grandfather's trowel, my grandmother's rings and a portrait of my great grandfather in the oddest Cap'n Crunch outfit you ever saw.

Plus, just watched a faux doc "Unlocking the secrets of Angels and Demons" that is actually a promo for the Dan Brown book (worst ending evah), but has interesting bits of tid ala "Friday the 13th marks the slaughter of the Knights Templar." (The survivors went on to form the Masons?) Huh. Did. Not. Know. That. (and don't actually believe it)

Finally caught up after being gone for the weekend.

So so sorry to hear Beverly's news. Thinking of you and your family.

{{{Sean and S}}} I hope she's feeling better soon.

Yay for Nora's A! I managed to pull out a B in my stats class. We rock, we do.

Niece and nephew are cute as can be. I want to steal my niece away. We had good bonding. She can't pronounce my name so I am called Toti. So adorable. She cried when they dropped me off at the aiport. Sweet little B. Nephew is wee and cute and cranky. He's got a very different personality than B. He also looks like he's got Deep Thoughts all the time. Like an old guy trapped in an infant's body.

whoo for the B in Stats! You are my hero. I finally decided to not take Stats (mostly because it was hard to find an appropriate class at the place I wanted to take it) and am taking a more low key style data analysis class instead.

Where does the Pentavarit come into this?

(The survivors went on to form the Masons?) Huh. Did. Not. Know. That. (and don't actually believe it)

This is the widely-told tale. I don't believe it either, but it's a good origin story.

And now, thanks to Veronica Mars, I get slightly icked whenever I picture Steve Gutenberg

You mean his career prior to VM didn't (Diner excepted)?

More of a party group than their usual drunken tricycle-riding selves?

Hee. That's the Shriners. Their burn institute in Boston has been so good to people I love that I always feel guilty after I've laughed at the little cars and fezzes.

Drew, do you know, do you have to be post-32 or 33 to be a Shriner? I just remember Dad was encouraged to become one, but declined. My uncle, who dad brought in, was a Shriner.

32nd degree is the highest. I know this from many years of writing obituaries.

I'll ask mum, when she drops off Ben. She's been staring at the [thing I don't want to call a diploma, but you know, it's pretty much a diploma] for longer than I have, but seem to recall being corrected by her, when I said he was a 32nd degree, maybe to the undertaker (who was also a Mason, and was concerned that we couldn't find the apron and weren't concerned). The Masons made their presence known at the funeral parlor, which touched me, considering dad probably hadn't been active in 25-30 years. I put a pinch of evergreen in his hand, myself, before they showed up, though, because I'd always seen him do it.