11 Apr 07

Time:

?

Money:

?, but I can estimate: 4 for breakfast at the usual place, 8 for lunch at the usual place, and I think about 20 at Blockhead's.

More interesting things:

Sat at my desk and hopped to the right a bit in order to make a spot for Professor Alpha, who determined that looking at my EVER enjoyable disposition of graduates handout would be easier if he came and parked by me rather than vice versa. That was more than okay as far as I was concerned, since sitting so close lent a conspiratorial air to the whole thing that enabled him a) to make easy-going fun of someone we know and b) to laugh about his joke with his head on my shoulder. Hee.

Talked, for some reason or another - oh, yeah, we were going to discuss it in class that day - about my candidacy paper with Professor Alpha. He had positive and, as he put it, "not earth-shaking" things to say about it, but as he handed me the copy he'd scratched on, he commented that the part describing a kid who couldn't quote might have had a basis in my own experience, since "these are ALL identity papers, aren't they?" Well, yes, to an extent. Not so much because I was reluctant to do it, but because nobody ever taught me effectively HOW to do it. So I'm gonna fix that for future use, okay?

Reminded Professor Alpha that the Utah Kid is headed this way pretty soon, so he suggested that the three of us get lunch together on Monday and then that I was a good choice for host. I agreed with him - because I did in fact come to that conclusion on my own, earlier in the week! - but then I realized that although I knew why I thought that, it would be interesting to find out how he'd come up with it. He offered the same comments about "taking a big jump" that I'd made in my head, but it was nice to hear the confirmation.

Got foiled again by the nippers, this time in a way that prevented me from Going. To. Professor. Alpha's. House! UNacceptable, Nippers, unacceptable! He announced that he wasn't coming in on Thursday so he could stay home and work and that he'd need to "chat" with me, so I reminded him that I would be around all day except for class in the middle of the afternoon, which prompted him to explain: "Yes, I remember your class - I was actually going to invite you up to my house so we could work there, but it would be hard for you to get back in time." Snarl, snarl, and growl: take that, you unsuspecting (and wrongfully, but satisfyingly, blamed) undergraduates.

Stood by as Anne thanked Professor Alpha for his "words of wisdom." When I repeated this phrase disbelievingly, he nodded at me from under his eyebrows, gave me the hand, and mouthed the words, "Oh yes, very high level." Needless to say, this was an easy setup: I asked when I would get to benefit from some of that wisdom, he growled that I get it constantly, and I was able to come back with, "Oh, that's what we're calling it these days?", scoring a laugh from both the other inhabitants of the social corner.

Walked back to my apartment past a Swiss Mountain Dog - not a Bernese - and his person. I think I've seen one before, but I also think I didn't record it, so let it go down in the books that I have collected the second of the four-part Alpine series.

Checked the mail, both as it appeared in our box (where the stuff usually does belong to us) and as it appeared on the shelf (where it usually does not, particularly when whatever I'm nosing at isn't right under our slot). It was good that I did check, though, because the little white box in the unlikely spot on the shelf had my name - and the name of the Big Paper - on it. Inside: a white mug, labeled on one side "Metropolitan Diary" and on the other "The Metro Section," all in the official typeface. Totally unexpected, and much appreciated.