Would it be utterly creepy and ooky to get a real human vertebra?

NO! I think it would be extremely cool.

I'm leaning toward getting a cast vertebra, because I can't stop thinking about, with a real human vertebra, I'd always wonder about the person it came from. And not the whimsied kind of wondering, or even plain old bemused wondering -- I mean more like will-I-be-haunted-by-the-person-this-BONE-came-from kind of wondering.

Why does my honey love me? Because I am defending the use of comic books in the classroom as a legitimate and useful tool in promoting literacy and language arts.

Oh oh! That means he loves me, too! I'm constantly defending my use of comics out at juvie hall as legitimate reading. I've gotten kids hooked on Y the Last Man, Runaways, and Powers! Rock!

And not the whimsied kind of wondering, or even plain old bemused wondering -- I mean more like will-I-be-haunted-by-the-person-this-BONE-came-from kind of wondering.

The real human bones that particular store has for sale are (IIRC) from people who donated their remains to science. So no, you shouldn't have to worry about being haunted by them. (Yes, I have researched this stuff. Hello, I'm the resident gothy hedgewitch. I think I'm contractually bound to know about this sort of thing.)

She's pretty cool and drives a ZAMBONI for her sons' hockey league.

See, that's practically a redundant statement right there. Zambonies = wicked cool.

So wait, donating your body to science means they can sell your bones to random people? I'm not sure I like that too well.

{{{Sean}}}

I had a horrible dream a few nights ago. I was having another baby--literally in childbirth. I had another daughter. When I told DH about it, he said, "I hope you and your new husband were very happy."

Maybe it's a sign that my twin sister is pregnant. /bright side

Steph, perhaps you could get itty-bitty corsets for each vertebra ....

Donating your body can mean a lot of things. Some people end up as crash test dummies! There are donor programs where you can elect to donate specific organs... you can also will yourself to an academic institution although I think I remember reading that there has been some trouble with some of those programs in the past. My bff wanted to end up as a skeleton in a classroom one day but after she did the research she decided it was too much trouble to arrange.

So wait, donating your body to science means they can sell your bones to random people? I'm not sure I like that too well.

Oh wait, I'm wrong. The Bone Room purchases their bones from other countries. Hmmm. Well then, I would say go with a resin cast replica.

Oh oh! That means he loves me, too!

Well, duh!