Tom, you can absolutely do this. You are an amazing man who has overcome so much.

Jilli, great interview!

ION, my favorite quote of today came when one of my students was trying to sketch a picture of the Greek god Hades for her mask-making project: "Ms. T? I'm trying to draw Hades, but he kind of looks like Jesus."

DO OR DIE
YOU'LL NEVER MAKE ME
BECAUSE THE WORLD,
WILL NEVER TAKE MY HEART
GO AND TRY,
YOU'LL NEVER BREAK ME
WE WANT IT ALL,
WE WANT TO PLAY THIS PART

I WON'T EXPLAIN
OR SAY I'M SORRY
I'M UNASHAMED
I'M GONNA SHOW MY SCAR
GIVE A CHEER
FOR ALL THE BROKEN
LISTEN HERE
BECAUSE IT'S WHO WE ARE

I'M JUST A MAN,
I'M NOT A HERO
JUST A BOY, WHO HAD TO SING THIS SONG
I'M JUST A MAN,
I'M NOT A HERO
I DON'T CARE

WE'LL CARRY ON
WE'LL CARRY ON

ION, my favorite quote of today came when one of my students was trying to sketch a picture of the Greek god Hades for her mask-making project: "Ms. Taylor? I'm trying to draw Hades, but he kind of looks like Jesus."

Did you say, "Yeah, my Boyfriend does that too... it doesn't mean anything. Trust me."?

Because that would be funny as shit.

You can do it, Tom. You are doing it. I'm sorry it's such a long wearing grind. But, yes, absolutely. You can and will and you've already done so much.

You can do it Tom! Go Tom!

Also, Kristin, I don't know if that it your real last name or whether you want it up there, but I didn't know we had the same real lastname, if it is!

Tom, you absolutely can keep on doing this. So much ~ma for you. Just so you know, a pic of you smiling is in my "Happy Thoughts" folder here at work, because you have the awesomest smile ever.

Tom, you're totally an inspiration. I can't help but admire how much strength you show. You absolutely can do this.

Jilli, I love that interview. I'd totally move to PNW, except for the pesky no job, no money, two children, one really sick thing.

Completely random: When Hec and Emmett dropped Matilda and me off this morning, they were just starting a discussion about who was left in the Democratic race. I emailed Hec a bit ago to ask what the 11-year-old perspective on the whole bucket of madness was, and he said:

Emmett and his friends are very excited by the possibility of Obama winning. It definitely resonates as something that belongs to them and not past decades, as Clinton does.

I can't even say why, but that almost makes me all choked-up and misty.

I can't even say why, but that almost makes me all choked-up and misty.

Cause it's cool to see a kid connect with something political.

Where I get all choked-up because I'm like, whoa, now I feel old.

I keep thinking about November 1991 and how giddy my friends and I felt (we were in our late twenties to early thirties and had never voted for anyone who won), and one friend told about going to vote in the cafeteria of an elementary school. As she walked out, all the windows in one room flew open and a flock of second-graders stuck their heads out and warbled, "THANK YOU FOR VOTING!" ::pause:: ::pause:: "FOR CLINTON!"

And oh my God, they're probably all out of college by now.