We have a functional bathroom again. I love Roto-Rooter. I still can't believe our landlady had never heard of them.

Never heard of them?

Good lawd. Not only could I sing their jingle for you with a gun to my head, if I played an instrument, I'd strum a few bars!

Great. Now I'll be humming that blasted tune instead of sleeping.

Roto-Rooter...that's the name. And away go troubles, down the drain...

Great. I'm screwed.

Twice I got called the name of the other black female instructor. She's red where I'm yellow, 40lbs lighter, shorter by 6 inches and with a mass of brown ringlets.

The first time I was called her name I hadn't even met her. When I did I sputtered "You're [instructor]??" and she was very confused.

The only other instructor whose name I've been called made actual sense, since we always worked together and our names rhyme.

I love Roto-Rooter. I still can't believe our landlady had never heard of them.

Not heard of Roto-Rooter?? That's freaky. In any case, yay for plumbers.

I'm absolutely awful with remembering my students' names. I only see them for 45 minutes a week, unless they come to office hours, so I always get terribly flustered if someone comes up to me after class and says something like, "Did you get my email?" Chances are, I got emails from at least ten students that week, and I've got no clue who the person in front of me is. I know the people who come to office hours by name, and there are some students that I've got mentally catalogued as "Blonde girl who sits in the back corner and usually knows the answers to questions" or "Indian guy who thinks I don't notice he spends most classes text-messaging" or "Dark-haired guy who always wants me to explain every step of the algebra," but I'd say that at least a third of the class, I'm not positive I'd recognize outside the classroom.

Someone once suggested I try asking "How do you spell your name?" when I don't want to admit I don't remember someone's name. But the first time I tried it, it turned out his name was Jim. I decided that that felt even more foolish than just saying "I've forgotten your name."

(For my students, I usually try to ask each person their name when I call on them for the first few weeks. But after about three weeks, it gets embarrassing, and it really doesn't help me remember.)

yes I am on the plane. Yes united sent me an email saying gate 66. Yes they did change the gate to 71b. No they didn't email me the change. Yes its in a different terminal. Grrrr.

Hey, I've had to do that at LAX. Did you have to go through security twice?

OK, I have to admit, I've done things like that dozens of times, with people of all different races. Because I have no memory for faces whatsoever -- unless I've actually had a one-on-one conversation with somebody lasting at least a good fifteen minutes or so, there's very little likelihood I'll get beyond, "Yeah, you look familiar" the next time I see them.

Oh, me too except my problem is remembering the names! It pains me to admit how many people in the choir at my church, with whom I've now sung for a good 5 years or so...just look very familiar to me. I'd recognize their faces anywhere, and I know which part they sing, but names? Not so good with those.

Tonight our director rearranged our seating a bit to accommodate the new people who are coming in for Advent, and I was seated next to someone who's normally first row while I'm second. We totally hit it off, and I was thinking that if we're still this friendly at the end of December, we should get together socially...always assuming by then I've figured out her name, because I don't think I'll be able to look up her email in the church directory under "curly black hair, plays flute, normally sits next to Maxine." And race is totally not a factor. Our choir is painfully white, currently with only one exception.

WindSparrow--insent.