Oh, and Nora, in Tom's place I think I would skip this paragraph:

I am assuming that you have decided to go in a different direction, but if that is not the case, then I wanted to let you know that I am still interested.

It just doesn't feel quite right to me. And it may not be necessary, as contacting them does show continued interest.

Trifecta?

I would just like to say, that while Ryan is a paragon of infant male pulchritude, the family photos really are so perfect, too.

Somehow the whole letter is vaguely negative, Nora

something more like. I am getting in touch with you because I am really interested in opportunity X at company Z. I am curious to know where you are in the process,

On a personal note , I am also interested in improveing my interview skills and I was hoping someone had the time to give me some feedback

and Shir -- somewhere a long the line in an interview - say something about looking unflappable even when you are excited nervous , or lots of different things are going on ....

I am full of advice.

Sending out the ma~~~ sj

Oops, he sent the email already. But thanks for the feedback.

~mas to sj's family.

You guys. I'm so petrified from this test. I'm looking at the stuff, and I know I could do it and it's not so hard - only I'm too insecure to even try.

It doesn't feel like an irrational fear. It feels like I'm on the edge of a cliff, and someone wants me to take another step into the blank.

It's crazy. I know I can do this if I won't freeze every time I try to access a question.

Oh well, Nora.

Shir , of course you can do it , it just isn't fun.

I just walked through the department office to get to the kitchen to refill my water bottle. The department secretary stopped me and said, "Can I ask you a question?" I said sure. She said, "Do you have a home church?" I said no. She pulled out a stack of business cards and started handing one to me and telling me about her church. I said, "I'm Jewish." She said, "You're Jewish?" I said yes. She said, "So you don't go to church?" I said no, and walked away before the conversation could get any weirder.

I don't think I've gotten the "Do you have a home church?" question since I left New Orleans.

"So you don't go to church?"

This is right up there with "So you don't even celebrate Christmas?" on the Top Five Oblivious Questions Routinely Asked Of Jews. I think the only appropriate response I can give is "Oy."

Well, she's from Cote D'Ivoire. I'm not sure how many Jews she would have met there.

Hil, how is it that you are such a magnet for inappropriate questions/expressions? Mercy.

I can say, from personal experience, I used to be the one who had the 'Verbally violent? Welcome!" sign on my forehead...with some physical stuff too, come to that. I was hassled ALL. THE. FREAKING. TIME.

No more. Seriously, someone recently asked me how long it has been since I made this transition and, except for one notable...quite instructive...exception, nobody speaks ill to me anymore.

It's not that I deal with it better, it just doesn't happen.

Man. Do I wish the same for you!