Thanks, P-C. I hadn't caught that Teppy said that first. So now I see why Hec stated his response that way.

Teppy would stab you in the neck if you questioned her use of the semi-colon.

I don't know, any number of academics and editors let you live when you insisted that a unified standard was silly and that CMS and AP commas should co-exist within a single document, nevermind a single publication.

I am so relieved. My boss's father has been in the hospital for 2 weeks, and on Thursday, her family flew in from all over the world because things were "grave".

He's had a remarkable turnaround and is actually being released (possibly) from the hospital Tuesday morning. I adore my boss and she's really close to her dad.

Java, that's wonderful news.

I cannot imagine a scenario where somebody who is expert on cheese, who has had experience making it, tasting a wide variety of cheeses in the world would say "yum" about a green can of Kraft. Because it's sole virtue is its saltiness. It doesn't taste like cheese.

While sidestepping entirely the question of Kraft green can cheese, I will say that I can enjoy both ends of a spectrum of foods by thinking of them as entirely different foods. For example, I like fresh asparagus and canned asparagus. I just think of them as different vegetables. When I make what I think of as "real" chili, I use a mixture of spices rather than chili powder; I do not include tomatoes; and I serve the beans on the side. I also enjoy a chili-like substance made of ground beef, tomatoes, beans and chili powder. I don't see how a passion for Kraft mac 'n cheese just like mother made rules out an appreciation for the finest cheeses and pasta.

But even Nora and Tom have their place. (Nora and Tom! See? They're MFEO!).

OMG, I was all, how the hell did I get involved in the cocktail discussion?

I am super jealous of the 209 having! Tom and I are currently experimenting with small batch gins and also rums. I also love vermouth and the taste of booze in a balanced well-crafted cocktail. I can't drink gin martinis except at the Zam Zam because I think that bartenders skimp on the vermouth.

I got pegged as a vermouth shit stirrer in Natter a couple months ago for alluding to recommendations that vermouth be stored in the fridge.

Made a "Scofflaw" cocktail the other night- Old Overholt rye, lemon juice, Noilly dry vermouth, and grenadine. Tasty!

There's a bunch of stuff that I really need to do today, but my ankle is killing me, and I'm not sure if it's hurting too much to concentrate on writing. I really can't take another day off, though. Maybe I'll see if the TENS will help enough.

(((Fay))) Tons of -ma for you and yours, and health-ma to your dad.

Fay, I hope everything is miraculously fine, but please don't beat yourself up about whether you should have tried to get home earlier.

I'll stand by Hec in gin-and-cheese snobbery. There's nothing wrong with admitting you like Kraft green-can parmesan cheese, but it does mean I'm probably not going to let you take charge of ordering the cheese plate if we go out to dinner together because I'm going to assume that good cheese matters more to me than it does to you.

On the flip side, I would be a terrible choice of person to organize a poetry exhibition, because I have no ear for poetry and really know nothing about it. It's not a subject that matters to me and so my opinion is unlikely to be useful to anyone for whom poetry is a passion.