This may be my last Cat Stevens reference. It's from the song "Oh Very Young." Since I'm older and I'm closing down the Newsletter, these thoughts about the swift passage of time do crop up with deeper, truer meaning.

        A mellow Sunday. I did continue to enjoy new episodes of The Sopranos and The Dresden Files. [I still don't get the special excitement and interest I had in shows like The X-Files, Twin Peaks, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Xena.]

        Tracey and I watched a DVD of  the movie Swimming Pool. The ending left things for the viewer to interpret. Still, it was an enjoyable ride while it lasted.

        Of course, we all heard the news about Virginia Tech. After thinking more horrified and empathetic and sympathetic thoughts, I was still reminded of one of my favorite songs by the Boomtown Rats. So I thought, "Huh. Maybe he didn't like Mondays either." [I've mentioned before that "I Don't Like Mondays" is a song about  the 1979 shooting spree of 16-year-old Brenda Ann Spencer, who shot at children playing in a school playground across the street from her house. She killed two adults, and she wounded eight children and a police officer. Spencer was not sorry about what she did. After her capture, her only explanation  was "I don't like Mondays." ]

        A Tuesday. My workers got paid.

        Shannon Rose sent an interesting e-mail forward with the worlds biggest dog--a 242 pound Mastiff.

        Emanimal family stuff: If my grandmother had lived, she would have been 89 today. She died at 81.
        Before the Newsletter ends, I thought I should say that there are a couple of things I remember about my father. He is still alive, and he's living in our house, but I seldom have much of a conversation with him. It has always been this way. My father is not an introvert. He just doesn't communicate well with his own children. He seems to have no trouble talking to other members of his family or my mother's family. Anyway, I don't have a lot of memories with dear old dad, but one I do have is when I was a youngster, a pre-teen, my father would take me to a certain barber shop to get my hair cut. (Of course, while there, he talked a lot to the barber and other folks, but he said very little to me, at least little that I remember.) In the barber shop, there was a flat decoration on the wall in the shape of an owl. A little poem was written on the body of the owl. It read, "There was an old owl who lived in an oak./The more he saw, the less he spoke./The less he spoke, the more he heard./Why can't we all be like this wise old bird?" I'll give my father credit for pointing out the wisdom of the "owl." I don't specifically recall that he noticed it as much as I did, but he may have first asked me to read it and understand its meaning. Maybe. I don't know. Me and my dad. [Oh, and once a Labbette thought that my father was dead because I never talked about him. Sadly, that's an easy assumption to make. I rarely do have anything to say about my dad.]

        Retirement news: No, I am not retiring from the Lab this year. Only the Newsletter is retiring. However, I got news that I COULD retire with full benefits September 1. I did some math, and what I thought was correct. I could get by on my retirement income if I didn't have my car payment. So, by working two more years until my car is paid off, I will be in a better position to retire--plus my monthly retirement check will be higher after working three years at this slightly higher income level.

        I'm not going to specify, but today was notable mostly for things that didn't happen. [Okay, one thing that didn't happen was a previously scheduled faculty meeting for the School of World Languages and Cultures. There were a couple of other things that also didn't happen, but I really won't specify those.]

        HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ?

        Marcie Ehmann sent an e-mail that said she was looking forward to the end of the school year. I'm looking forward to summer myself.

        I made sure not to go in to work. I did enjoy some anime and manga.

        Halloween was at the pet clinic for her annual checkup. She is doing very well for a cat her age.

        Lisa Simpson used a line in tonight's show that I had used on Friday in the Lab: "I'm disappointed, but I'm not surprised." Lisa was referring to something Homer was doing--though Lisa herself was the real culprit, faking falls on the soccer field so Homer, as referee, would give penalties to the opposing team. I had used the line in reference to crumbs and dirt around the NEW keyboard at the front desk where my student workers sit.

        K.F.  said she was surprised at some of the language I used in the CHART THING NOTES. She also wanted to get credit for Kate AKA Ekaterina.

        It rained, and my recently washed car got spotted up a little. C'est la vie!
        Oh, and I haven't mentioned, I don't think, that UC will be paying for students, faculty and staff to ride on our Metro bus service. The program might start as soon as May 1, and will last for at least 3 years. I will be taking advantage of the "free" bus ride when it goes into effect. And I should mention that the program is really being funded at the direction of Student Government, not some other UC administrative area.

        Shannon Rose sent an e-mail forward with a top ten list purported to be by David Letterman, but it was something someone else made up and put Dave's name on--and saying he'd have trouble with the NAACP and Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. Once again the Urban Legends website confirmed my suspicions about a certain kind of weirdness on the Internet.

        The Decline of Western Civilization: After repeated spoken and written warnings, I removed my microwave from the Lab because my workers kept leaving it dirty. I still have access to it in another space, but my workers are now having to go to the Zimmer vending area to microwave their food. The refrigerator may have to go next if it is abused to the point of my dissatisfaction.

        Tracey and I  watched Night at the Museum on a rental DVD. It was an enjoyable flick.

        Marcie Ehmann sent an e-mail to announce that a friend of hers (Bogi) is pregnant. It was somewhat interesting news. Also, I told her about the UC student, an Addiction Studies major, who threatened a "worse than Virginia Tech" episode if his grade didn't get changed. The guy is now in jail for inducing panic. It was of special concern since some of the people he specifically was was angry with were in the African American Studies department, which is just around the corner from our new Language Resource Center.

        In other news, I learned that the free bus rides (sponsored by UC Student Government) start this Monday, and I'll be taking advantage of them, with the option to use my car for special circumstances.

        I was invited to a party where most of my current student workers would be having themselves a good time. I chose to stay at home and watch Bill Moyers interview Jon Stewart and Josh Marshall. I also watched an episode of This American Life on Showtime On Demand.

        Shannon Rose sent an e-mail forward with the men's version of "The Rules." Entertaining enough.

        HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ?

        I finally got a ticket for parking in the Old Chem loading dock--even though I really was loading and unloading some stuff. I will take advantage of the one-a-year ticket forgiveness on Monday. I will check to see if I can get an official loading dock permit too.