Much ~ma to Suzi and ChiKat today.

I just got an email inviting me to the semi-bi-monthly "Lady's Lunch" here at my company. My first instinct was "Euw!" My second instinct was, "No, networking is good, some potluck in the break room won't kill you." Even if the phrasing is "I know we have some new 'ladies', and I've added you to the mailing list." I may be a lady or a woman, but I am no 'lady'.

So I check the details "Let's all meet at Macaroni Grill this Friday!" Uh, no. I don't know what the rest of the people in this place make, but that restaurant doesn't even have nodding acquaintance with my budget. Even if they do have lunch "deals", I have no business going out to lunch that close to the end of the pay period.

So I am both relieved not to have to have lunch with the "ladies" and moderately revolutionary with my stupid class rage issues. "Oh, let's just pop over to the semi-expensive Italian place for lunch!"

Yes, in my world, Macaroni Grill is expensive.

Connie, it stinks that the choice you have to make about going/not going is based on your pocketbook instead of on whether or not you want to go. Maybe someone will get a clue that semi-expensive = not inclusive, and suggest a kaffeeklatsch instead.

Connie -- I feel your pain because I have to do the same thing. I don't understand how people who all work together can't take account of where they are in the payperiod to make those plans. (I wish I didn't have to think of that sort of thing.)

Connie, I'm shaking my fist at them! That just sucks (and sadly doesn't surprise me, coming from people who say "'ladies'".)

(Pauses to admire four consecutive punctuation marks.)

In news that is maybe good, maybe just confusing, I maybe got into grad school. Or, at least, I just got a lovely "Welcome to the program!" email -- which is a bit odd, since I never got an acceptance letter or any information on how to register for the classes that start, did I forget to mention?, today.

Or, at least, I just got a lovely "Welcome to the program!" email -- which is a bit odd, since I never got an acceptance letter or any information on how to register for the classes that start, did I forget to mention?, today.

"Welcome to the program! Your first task will be to deduce whether you actually are in the program or not. This will factor into your final grade."

Lilty was here? I'll have to go back and read, but for now, you may call me Skippy McSkipperson.

And I am your brother, Skipp...er McSkipperson.

Money is stupid. And I woke up with a sore throat, right before we're supposed to go up to Sonoma for a couple days for a department off-site.

Connie, I don't know what to say, besides I've been there.

Your first task will be to deduce whether you actually are in the program or not.

I figure I'll show up at the orientation and see if the bouncers say I'm in. They always seem to know these things.

Of course, the likelihood of a second-tier information science school having a bouncers-and-velvet-ropes setup at the mid-year new students' coffee-and-paperwork session is roughly zero, which I figure just increases my chances of actually gettinghaving gotten in.

Huh, I never remember my information school giving us coffee with our paperwork.

Yum, coffee. Must grab some before my meeting in 7 minutes where I will lame-duck-giggle at the people who have to stay here an carry on the projects.