Wow, Drew, congratulations!

I am proof the rhythm method isn't extremely reliable.

Antony Jansen van Salee, which is Salee in Morocco, home of the Salee Rovers, pirates who harassed Europe in the early 1600s. Antony's dad, Jan Jansen van Harleem was captured by Moorish pirates (possibly grabbing Antony as well, timing is iffy), and Jan famously said "Better Moorish than a Papist," converted to Islam, changed his name to Murat Reis, and commanded pirate raids against Spain. However, when he was low on targets, he had no problems expanding his horizons. He raided the small Irish town of Baltimore, sacked it, and hauled the inhabitants off to the slave markets. I've always felt like I should apologize if I ever find myself in Ireland.

Antony decided to go to the New World when he became a man and set off with a fair amount of money to set himself up in New Amsterdam. On the boat over, he met Grietje Reyniers, who had been sacked from her job as a barmaid for being too fresh with the clientele. They were married on ship--I wonder if she dazzled a possibly sheltered young man--and set themselves up as prosperous traders. Antony was known to have a good, deep-water dock at his Long Island estate, and I've always imagined he maintained ties with his pirate kin.

Happy birthday -t!

Congrats on the new job, Jessica!

And congrats Drew on being so Outstanding!

All this stuff!

I know where I was conceived. My dad was working out of town in Batavia, NY and mom apparently visited him since she told me that was where I was conceived. She wanted a dozen kids so none of us were accidents. Silly woman.

Happy birthday, -t!

Congrats on the new job, Jess!

Drew! That's a wonderful honor, and you deserve it.

Sometimes I just don't leave the house because getting dressed is too stressful on the decision-making.

Yet another reason we need teleporters - I would happily appear in Buffista houses, help people pick out clothes, and then whoosh back home. Or to another Buffista's place.

Antony Jansen van Salee....

You don't get that kind of stuff from the 'they fight crime' site!

Sometimes I just don't leave the house because getting dressed is too stressful on the decision-making.

Often.

Yet another reason we need teleporters - I would happily appear in Buffista houses, help people pick out clothes, and then whoosh back home. Or to another Buffista's place.

I cannot tell you how wonderful that would be. On occasion when I've had my niece handy I've let her pick out my clothes for me and it's fantastic.

The funny thing is, once I'm past all the angst of choosing the outfit and actually gotten dressed, I totally forget what I'm wearing. If someone says I look nice I have to look down to see what they are complimenting. So why stress about it? I don't know. But I do.

Connie, I would totally read that novel! But how sheltered could Antony have been, with a pirate for a dad?!

Considering the man who's probably My Real Dad(tm) was mom's partner in rally racing, there's a decent chance I was conceived on the dusty hood of a race car in the flush of victory. I like to think so.

Every time my faux-niece says she was an accident. her mom corrects her to say she was a miracle. And she was, my BFF had only a fourth of an ovary left and the doctors had told her she couldn't get pregnant again. She promptly proved them wrong, as she likes to do.

Aw, my department got a Neapolitan cake for the February birthdays (there are two of us, me today and E tomorrow and he will be at the other site tomorrow, so cake today) - layers of vanilla cake, chocolate cake, and strawberry mousse with chocolate frosting and whipped cream roses. It's hella good. Highly recommend would eat again.