I strongly suggest to parents of pre-toddlers to start buying paper towels in bulk and stain guard your furniture and carpet.

Mostly done!

If it's a business call from someone I'm not really familiar with, I'll answer it as I do unknown callers ("Editorial Library"). If it's my boss or someone else from my department, I'll answer as I do a family member or friend ("Hey there! Thanks for returning my call/What's up?/whatever is appropriate here").

I finally got around to putting up more Budapest pictures. There are some pretty cool pictures of the baths and metro [link]

I do this because I am never sure if I am going to get a pushbutton menu instad of a person, and that's easier to navigate when my phone is on speaker.

This reminds me that if no one answers and you aren't going to leave a message, you just press a button to hang up.

I have my own office though, and don't use speakerphone in earshot of other people.

Now, this is a question I’d like to pose. When you know who the caller is, should you greet them by name, or just answer hello? And does this differ if it is a personal call rather than a business one?

Keep in mind that I answer the main phone line for our department, but I usually pretend I don't know who is calling (because often it is a student and I think it would freak them out if they thought I knew their phone number) but if it is a friend or a close coworker, I say 'Hi Katie!' (or whatever is appropriate.

big jump to Last to say

Happy Birthday to SuperMoM!

I have my own office though, and don't use speakerphone in earshot of other people.

I think this is the key. Of course the people I can hear doing it have their own offices, it just carries here. The singing cow-worker is also in her own office, but I can hear her. I can pretty much here what anyone in my hallway is saying even when they are in their offices. Please note the people I work with are VERY LOUD talkers.

Thoughts about the new super thin macbook? Cool? or apt to be broken by klutzes like me?

I got a comment on one of my flickr photos that is in another language! And I can't figure out what language! Actually, some of it seems to be in Spanish (basically, "I love the photo" and "Luck") but i couldn't figure this sentence out at all

jakaj qe limada la foto

(except la foto, of course)

sarameg! Do you know Atwater's in Belvedere Square? They make a chili cheddar bread. Available every day!

My god, you rock. I'm going to have to start leaving offerings on your porch or something.

And, um, do you know what the hell happened October 29 that is making my head hurt now? I swear, as soon as I know enough to not be the bubmling newbie, I'm making some rules here. But first, I have to know where we need rules. Hrmph.