Barb, I truly love this. It is the perfect description of so much of at that school.

Well, given that I've got more than passing familiarity with the area in question, I figured I was pretty close to the mark. Hang in there honey-- we've got your back.

Is today GC and DF day? HAPPY GC and DF DAY!!!!!

Yes, this, very much so!!

I use it in my coffee. Don't try to heat it, it will break in a New York minute.

Huh - I've cooked with it (casseroles etc) and it's worked fine, but I wouldn't use it in my coffee because then I'd be able to taste it.

It's basically just evaporated skim milk with extra stabilizers to mimic the texture of light cream.

Eep - HAPPY WEDDING DAY GC/DF!!!!

Have a wonderful wedding, GC & DF!

brenda, hurrah for good Lucy news!

With all the orientation hoopla this week, I forgot to confirm some coverage we need. Please to be crossing your fingers that the librarian with whom I forgot to confirm with (she has been on a two week vacation) is still willing to cover or Sox will have to settled for a messy house and/or no groceries in the house when she visits this weekend.

Doo-doo-doot-doo, doo-doo-doot-doo.... Throws rice birdseed on GC and DF/about-to-be-DW. WooHoo!

High-fives to my Scots-Irish-German-English relative, GG! (add in Welsh, possibly Portugese, and some other things we're not quite sure of (mumblemubmle),

We must all be cousins!

High fives with GG and Sox.

Add in Dutch, and Creek (East of the Mississippi), and you've got me. Not a pliable strain amongst 'em.

a tendency to get kicked out of countries for fighting, claim jump into wars, and generally pick up a shellaillagh at a moments' notice, and you've got me.)

We've got the ability to hide out in the backwoods when meant to be on forced relocations, survive scalping, out-run Brit-allied Native American war parties during the Revolution, stick to one's Protestant guns during Wars of Religion, and generally zig when one should zag.

ooh! happy wedding day to GC and DF!

Sean, I can't see you, but I believe in you. Take care of yourself.

GG - some of Jilli's advice columns have included how to dress Goth without breaking dress codes. You just go more formal than usual ... which can really freak out some people (imagine it - everyone else is wearing khakis and polo shirts and you're wearing a skirt and jacket, ruffles, maybe a hat ... stripey tights are optional for you). And does MM have a spare flaming cow he can project at your DD?

And may I say that I avoid "fat free" versions of stuff - they tend to add sweetener of some sort to make up for the loss of texture.

and GG - I forgot to mention - the Scots have been scaring people off for CENTURIES. Remember the Romans? their legions were, um, tough by anyone's standards. They hit Scotland, started going through conquering the Picts who lived there, then stopped, counted up their losses, looked at the countryside and said forget it. Just to be safe they built a wall. Hadrian's Wall. 75 miles long, 8 to 12 feet high, with space between the outer and inner wall to run a chariot. (Some say the ghosts STILL patrol that wall ... just to make sure.)

Squeeeeeeeeee! GC and soon to be DW wedding day! I bet it will be super sugar. Congratulations, you both.

Quick question: Tom sent that follow up email yesterday and got a prompt respnse saying they were swamped with grant applications, etc., the position is still open, thanks for your patience, etc. Please let us know of any change in your status.

So... should he write to them and tell them that his job status has changed? Just to give a heads up that he's going to be job seeking more aggressively? Something like...

Thank you for your reply; I'm pleased to hear the position is still available. In response to your mention of letting you know about any updates in my employment status, I wanted to tell you that due to sugnificant restructuring of my company, after tomorrow my position at (company) will be eliminated. As was discussed in my interview, this development is not wholly unwelcome, as I have been interested in new challenges and opportunities. However, of course, this means that I will be stepping up my job search significantly in the coming weeks. I just wanted to let you know that, as it certainly impacts my time horizon for wanting to start something new.

Thoughts? It's not something I'd ordinarily do, but they did specifically request that he keep them informed of change in status and he is going to go to town on job hunting starting next week. Is this too aggressive?

Nora, I think that looks fantastic, actually.

I think I'm going to have Tom write all my professional correspondence from now on.

Add in Dutch

Sox has a heapin' helpin' of Dutch in her, thanks to our Grandmother (who always claimed our ancestors jumped off of Henry Hudson's ship and were living high off the hog while the Pilgrims were starving -- but I always imagined this was as a way of establishing her credentials against my 3-relatives on the Mayflower mother). And I'm surprised she forgot it on our list since her EnZed sister looks EXACTLY like our grandmother.

Calling Vortex: I just saw the Dean in charge of that job you applied for here. She hopes to get back to it next week. She also said she thinks it should be two jobs, bar stuff and tutoring stuff, and the fact that it is structured as one job is making it hard to fill.