Salamander
Fire Walking

I had my final Latin class last night. It's a case of "I'm going to miss it, but I'm glad it's over." There were three students there last night, down from nine - 66% attrition rate. The course was very much what I expected, but I think some of the other students who took it were expecting way too much from a non-credit night course. One of the other students remaining was an kid who was spending a year in the US as a nanny. She returns to her native Austria in August, and will be attending some sort of college preparatory school. She's been very earnest about the course because she'll need to take Latin when she goes back, and the teacher took some extra time to make sure she was getting the basics she needed. Last week I asked her if she knew how many classes we had left in the course (I'd lost the course guide, and wasn't sure if last week was supposed to be the final class, or we had one this week). She wasn't sure either, so we asked the teacher, who told us the sixth of May was our last class. Anyhow, the Austrian nanny came into class last night with the giggles, and when the teacher left the class to make some photocopies she explained why - last week was supposed to be the final week. We ended up getting a bonus week out of the course! It would seem that the teacher was as clueless as his students about some things!

ACfH continued to make visits to the balcony door all last night, well into the wee hours, hoping for her friend to return. Alas for her, Squirrel had better sense than to do a Romeo at the balcony last night. I'm seriously thinking about getting a have-a-heart trap, and shipping this guy to the local state park. He's still ripping leaves off my jade tree, and if it comes to the Squirrel or the tree, Squirrel is going to come out the loser. I noted with some interest that Migraine Man is now leaving shelled walnuts out for the Squirrel on his balcony. I guess peanuts weren't good enough. I also note with interest that Migraine Man has no plants to be ruined by this interloper from Planet Rodentia.

Still no word on the new apartment. I was really pretty sure they'd have called this morning some time. Still, so long as I hear by the end of the month, we'll be in good shape.

The Prof heard from the college he interviewed for the full time job at. They want him to come back, present a "sample problem" and have lunch with the rest of the Mathematics Department faculty. Regardless of whether or not he gets this position, this is great experience for him, and an opportunity to make some potentially useful contacts. I think my exuberance about this second interview is making him nervous though, and I know he's afraid that I'm going to be really disappointed if he doesn't get the job (there are still two others in the running). I will be disappointed, but it will be more disappointment for The Prof than for myself. I'll try to tone the enthusiasm down a notch or two though, since it actually seems to be making him feel more negative about his prospects instead of more optimistic.

Heard from the ex for the first time in months. He wanted to know if I was interested in taking my old car ('89 Probe) off his hands. It has 186,000 miles on it, the air conditioning and heat don't work, and I have sincere doubts it will make it past its next inspection in November. I loved that car, but I had to turn him down on the offer. I'm just amazed he's getting rid of it if the motor still turns over.

I took the opportunity to ask him if he still has my birth certificate in the safe deposit box. With all my vacation plans going awry (no vacation at the end of May, no California over Christmas) I'm starting to seriously think about an Earth Watch vacation. Which could mean that I'll need to get a passport. Which means I'll need my birth certificate. Don't know if I'll actually follow through, put it pays to be prepared.