tanabutler

Stephanie, please check with me before you go to any of these places.

Thanks, y'all, for the good wishes. We're still just in awe at the achievement and the possibilities. Other reason to be cheerful: the first padrón pepper came ripe yesterday. We split it three ways.

Go Slugs! Congratulations on the fine achievement of said daughter. PBK? I'm guessing she did not use the old pass/fail grading system of UCSC. Oh, I see, no more than 25% of classes are permitted to be p/f for graduation. Where is she hoping to do the Ph.D? Lots of opportunity up here in Seattle. UC Berkeley, which makes me happy. Not only is it close to home, but the ethnic restaurants there are so much better than here in Santa Cruz. And no, she went for grades, flat-out. No cum laude status, but she's very happy about the PBK because of the method in which they are chosen. That meant more to her than straight grades.

I am thrilled for you, and glad I backed up to find this. x 10!

I attended my first college graduation yesterday. Our daughter graduated from Kresge College at UCSC, majoring in Psychology (to pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience). To my utter astonishment: a page in the program had printed that, among the entire college, 12 were Phi Beta Kappa. One was my beloved girl. She also graduated with university honors and some other honors. Can some of you scholars tell me the PBK value?? I used to know. I think they used to get a key. I think this bodes well for getting into her chosen grad school, right? She is one happy young woman. And we (her three parents) are about that happy as well.

Her fingers are so much more supple than mine, beloved. Plus, I can't swear out loud in case Logan see THE BIG FUCKING LETTERS from You Know Who. LOVELY NEWs, Squeat. Kiss the doggie. xox

Right. Do you mean I should have written about it before it ended? Anyway, I was ok with his win. I think all three seemed kind of like jerks. And hams. I appreciated Susur Lee more than most. I did not appreciate Marcus or Moonen much until the end. I love watching Waxman and Susan Feniger, and also the Tony guy that Feniger loved. Tragic last episode when Susur revealed that his lovely first wife perished in the jet in the airspace above Russia. I thought Marcus was pretty much a jerk in the first episodes, but that last one: his story held together. Wondered where G. Greene went in the last episodes. I can only guess. I did like that last episode, with the prior chefs, but I seriously have to wonder how those ratings from three chefs translate into perfect points or half-points. I think that is wrong, and would be someone to prove me wrong. Mr. Sando, if you think that Moonen was docked a point, did they say so? I am not disputing, but is that your assumption? I thought Rick Moonen did quite well with that dish. And yes, maybe they docked points for New Zealand. Thanks in advance for your answer

Coming out of the woodwork, Carrie, to say how unbelievably blessed you have been with such a companion. He's more than a cat (even though they all are). He's one of the most amazing felines I've ever seen. I can hardly bear the thought of his light going out in your life, especially these days. Your cat licks celery and drinks Sauternes? Kitty Bitty (whom I'm thinking of renaming "Batty Catty") came in the house last week, meowing with her mouth FULL of a writhing gopher, which she wanted to deposit into the collective catfood bowl. I protested loudly, and she gave me a look that only a supremely stupid cat can give. (Oddly, she looks enough like Mr. Chequers to be his sister. But she's a bumpkin, and Mr. Chequers is a gentleman and a scholar.) I am so sorry for you to have to part with such a love. But I will repeat you have been blessed, enormously, to have been someone in your life for 18 years who reveals every day that you have a heart of gold.

Shortly after his death, I heard an NPR interview with Howard Zinn. He talked about being a bomber in WWII, and choked up over the memory of flying over a tulip field in Holland, where a farmer had planted THANK YOU in tulips for the Americans involved in the liberation. Extraordinarily told by him, of course. I'm sure the tulips also held significance for the Canucks, and the Brits, and even a few Aussies... the Yanks had some help in the air, as I'm sure you know. And the Dutch continue to be grateful to them all. When I was 13 and visiting my great aunt, it never occurred to her that Canadian kids weren't being taught the importance of Canada's role in the liberation in school to the same extent as Dutch kids were. She took me to a war cemetery and was astonished at my ignorance of the situation, but gratified by my appreciation. And she introduced me to some people she met at the reception centre, who treated me like a celebrity just for being Canadian. Years later I was also astonished at the emotional appreciation shown me by a couple of older ladies from Dieppe I met on a train from Lausanne to Paris. Of COURSE you are correct. I meant no disrespect.

Shortly after his death, I heard an NPR interview with Howard Zinn. He talked about being a bomber in WWII, and choked up over the memory of flying over a tulip field in Holland, where a farmer had planted THANK YOU in tulips for the Americans involved in the liberation. Extraordinarily told by him, of course.

The balmy, breezy weather: it feels like we're on vacation. The crimson tulips in a crystal vase on my desk. Bob's Valentine, which was so sweet it made me weep. Logan crowing, "Happy Chinese Valentine's Day, Nana!"

Two months younger than my daughter. I'm sickened, and also heartsick.

Needs to wax the 'stache. Two words more: chin hairs.

This darling creature is one of hundreds that one of my sisters, a realtor in Georgia, is trying to get placed. She works with other realtors who are placing dogs that have been abandoned or displaced by foreclosures. I'd take him in a minute: you can see his happy spirit in those eyes. The websites: http://www.forgottenpaws.com/ <--- Where the blue-eyed dog is listed http://www.realtorsforpets.com/ <--- Sister Kristen's website Purina has stopped donating food, among other tragedies. These are good women doing good work. Bless 'em!

Unhappy Hipsters: all images taken from Dwell magazine.