1.On this date in 2001, Apple introduced the iPod, a pocket-sized media player. Are you old school with Sony Walkman and CDs? Has your iPhone or smartphone eclipsed those functions? Hop in the car and listen to the radio? Or you don’t require a soundtrack to your life?

Sure, I did own a Walkman. Hell, I owned the yellow waterproof cassette one! Then I got the typical Sony discman. I felt like I held all the world’s musical everything in my hands when I owned those! Then, I worked at Compusa in the early 2000s and I did own an mp3 player but I held out on the ipod. I now own a Gen 5 ipod because no, I HATE having music on my phone. My phone is for games, texting, and well, talking I guess. Yes, I do listen in the car; I pay for SiriusXM! I DO need a soundtrack to my life. It’s almost entirely rock/metal.

2. Today we celebrate Mole Day. Not the burrowing subterranean rats. Not angel kisses. Nor the Mexican sauce which is pronounced to rhyme with olé as if we are cheering a matador at a bullfight and is great with chicken and rice. This mole is a relationship between mass and weight and is a basic unit of measurement in chemistry. (explanation.) So. Are you a science or math nerd? Which begs the eternal question: Why are we cool and guy nerds are dorks?

I am not someone I’d consider a science or math nerd. Now I once looked up the definition of dork and some say it’s someone who wants to know everything about something – down to the nth degree. Now THAT I am! Also, to answer to actual question: I know plenty of female nerds whom I would not consider cool at all. And some pretty sexy nerds so… I dunno!

3. Because Mole Day is all sciencey, it kicks off National Chemistry Week. Did you take a chemistry class? What were your first impressions on being in a laboratory classroom? Do you recall your early experiments? Did you have a lab partner? Did you want to strangle her? Was the prospect of capital punishment or twenty⁠—to⁠—life in the slammer and getting a poor grade on your report card a deterrent? Or was her enthusiasm infectious and she was a sheer joy to be around?

I actually really enjoyed Honors Chem in high school. I thought doing the little genetics experiments were cool, as well as ones where we made different color flames out of elements. I did have a lab partner: Lars. He was from Canada and had long hair. In fact, I almost always angled to get guy lab partners because, you know, 10th grade hormones.

4. National Boston Cream Pie Day. Not a pie. Two yellow butter cakes baked in pie tins. A vanilla custard cream filling with luscious slathering of chocolate ganache over the top. Mmmmm. Custard cream. Luscious slathering of chocolate ganache. Have you ever spontaneously without forethought gone out to the frozen custard stand or ice cream parlor or soda fountain to treat yourself? Met up with friends for coffee and dessert?

Yes I have! I can tell you three times that come to mind: one time, Ash was out of town and I was pregnant with my first. I called our friend Wayne and Lance to meet me at the Sonic for half priced milkshakes. Then, when I was pregnant with my second, I NEEDED  a root beer float and drove to the Steak n Shake drive-thru. Then one time, they opened a new yogurt place and I put it out on fb I was going if anyone wanted to meet up and another grad student showed up and she wasn’t someone I knew well. We had a nice time though.

5. Heeeeeeeere’s Johnny! Happy Birthday, Johnny Carson! And Happy National TV Talk Show Hostess / Host Day! Have a favorite talk show you regularly watch?

Honestly? I don’t. Not to be too blunt but they all annoy the FUCK out of me. If I had to pick one I watched and enjoyed, it would have to be Jay Leno. He always kept it fun and neutral, even when every other asshole turned to politics and Trump bashing. We just don’t watch that kind of stuff anymore.

6. Please share with us something interesting about your week.

I am going to give you some bullet points since this week has been here, there, and everywhere!

• Going to see ZZ Top tonight with the hubs and my parents!
• Deflated all pool floats and put the cover on the pool; swim season is over
• It’s cool! Low 50s now; welcome Fall!
• Trying to write but overwhelmed by actual work
• Started watching the new Watchmen series and Sopranos. No, I never watched it!
• Been working on my battle jacket that I’ll be wearing for Halloween. I really love creating something artistic! I enjoy the act of sewing the patches too, even though it hurts my hand.