Hannah, Jacob's youngest sister, called me last night all excited ... she got her first 'real' job - busing tables at Pasquallies in Rapids. Jamie, isn't this where you worked and it was awful?? Did you know JoAnn, the bartender? She sold PC & is friends with Ranee - we went to Chicago together for this conference last summer and she was so much fun!

PS ... I never seen anyone over Thanksgiving ... at least no one important like you girls! I seen lots of people I 'knew' from school or jobs at the downtown lighting. I'm also proud to say I never even stepped in WalMart - probably would have seen a billion more people, though!

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Neil and his lovely wife came into work and told me she's pregnant. I promised him I'd let you all know that he's going to be a Da Da.

I think we would all agree that Iowa -- especially Iowa City -- is not a cultural mecca. Even so, there are some culturally wonderful things about this place, like the fact that the vending machines are all stocked with not only Coke Zero, which is almost impossible to find on our grocery store shelves up north (and certainly not in the machines), but CHERRY Coke Zero, and VANILLA Coke Zero. These are products I've seen advertised for the last few months, sodas I have lusted after because of my deep affection for the less-diet-flavored, still-zero-caloried Coke Zero.

I live in hell. I really do. Up there, I am so disconnected from everything. Yeah, it's just soda. But it's also a reflection of the bigger things.