Friday we finally had a retirement party for Fearless Leader, he who headed up Marketing until June of this year. Fearless Leader was going to retire within the next year anyway, but you know how that goes. So a select few got together and surprised him at an overpriced-but-tasty Italian restaurant. You know the place - artsy decor, and they tend to do a lot of tableside fun and games with Caesar salad and bananas Foster. (Who knew flaming bananas could taste so good?) Godfrey accompanied me, I tried to pass him off as a handsome stranger I had picked up at the bar, but too many people had seen his picture on my desk. He finally got to meet some of the assorted personalities with whom I work.

Fearless Leader was always very good about complimenting my work. He was very supportive of my grad school plan and said that I had better go through with it. I told him the only big thing that might stop me at this point was if no school wanted me. Sidebar: Everyone says, "Oh, you'd be so good at that!" when I tell them I want to teach college English. Hopefully they're not all B.S.ing me.