I pretty much have to fight to call my professors and my doctors "Dr. X" or "Prof. Y". Most of them let us and some even tell us we can call them by their first name. We don't use "sir" and "Mr./Ms." in schools either, it's just first names all around.

I mean, they can if they really really want - but there are some rules I obey just because they make fucking sense. You've got a doctorate, I don't, you're a Doctor, I'm not. If we'll meet outside of university, I might consider calling you by your first name, but I'd probably pass it by "hey".

Most of my students were Hispanic, and they called any adult "Miss" or "Mr."

It was adorable. I'm FB friends with many of them, and even though I chat with some about books and TV and movies, they STILL address me as "Miss" or "Ms. G."

My favorite honorific comes from my 5 year old. All the older kids call us Dave & Lisa, a way to set us apart from the other authority figures in their lives. But the littlest one was trained to say Miss. So he wants to call me Miss Sprinkle (we'll leave aside the marital status there.) But Miss Sprinkle is hard to say. So he calls me "Prinkle" all the time. So we are, for whatever reason, Dave and Prinkle.

For my sister's current round of chemo, she's having to be admitted. Her back is objecting to the mattresses in the hospital, and she's wondering if anyone knows of a way to improve lower back support while being in a hospital bed.

Would any of those memory foam pads work? The low end of the spectrum can be found at target, and then all sorts of stuff at the medical-supplies-for-consumers places that sell bandages and wheelchairs and bedpans and such from 1.5X target prices to super-expensive. (Are hospital beds one of the standard size like maybe "single" or "twin"? If not maybe you have to go right to the medical supply places and skip target/linens-and-things and such.)

How about a bolster pillow to put under her knees, to take some of the strain off?

Thanks, Jessica! These recipes sound delicious.

Much easy diagnosis & treatment~ma to you, Drew.

Lord, too much medical drama. Stop it, world.

Lots of ma, Drew.

ION, I just realized that the mid-Atlantic region has two different grocery store chains called Giant. Odd. One of them is mostly around the DC region, and the other is mostly in PA with some stores in surrounding states, but they've both got stores in Maryland and Virginia.