My sister and I grew with people thinking we were twins, because we do look a bit alike but mostly because Mom tended to buy twice the fabric and make matching clothes for us.

We were surprised once in high school gym, when we had gym at the same time and the teachers had our classes play volleyball against each other. After rotating around, we ended up across the net from each other and were talking smack, which cracked us both up. At that point, one of Sis's classmates looked at us in surprise and said, "Hey, are you two sisters?" We were shocked she couldn't tell right away, and she said she didn't notice it until we both smiled.

IcompletelyON, I have to burble about tonight's class! The evening started off really terrible, with me getting cramps and not feeling good and ending up leaving work 45 minutes later than I normally do and having to drive in a light snow to a class when I had done none of the three chapters of reading. Well, there was no one on the road so at least I got to class 20 minutes ahead of time, so I was able to pull out my book and start skimming the first chapter. I noticed on the syllabus that the three chapters were on library ethics, but also that we were going to have an outside lecturer for the evening. I assumed he'd be talking about ethics, and had decided to pull the "I don't feel so good" excuse for why I wasn't participating when it came time to talk about the reading.

The first hour, we spent talking about the chapter of reading from last week that we never got around to last Tuesday, which I had read, and then the lecturer started talking about something completely different, so I didn't have to worry about the reading at all--yay!

Anyway, the lecturer was fascinating--his talk was all about how information is created, codified, classified, and then conveyed via media. Sounds dry and boring, but it really wasn't. One of the charts he used in his Power Point slideshow got me to correlate it to Helen Keller and her moment at the water pump and how she was able to classify all the random info she was getting her entire life. I mentioned that to the lecturer at the Q&A section, and he thought about it and admitted that it had never occurred to him before.

Earlier in the lecture, he had said something else that reminded me of a book I had read for fun while I was in college. When he paused, I raised my hand and mentioned it, and as soon as I said the title, he pointed at me and said the author's name. I was floored that he was familiar with the book (I'd never met anyone who had read it before), and he said not only had he read it, but he was friends with the author! He told me he'd mention to the author that he had a fan in library school in Illinois.

I drove home smiling the whole way, remember that classes like tonight were why I had loved college soooo much. I'm so glad to back in school!

I don't get identified as anything beyong generic British Isles. My parents' first, third and fifth kids are swarthy enough to indicate there's something else in our ancestry; me, I just tan unuexpectedly well if I get too much sun. (Which I've avoided since I left school.)

Kathy, that's simply lovely.

OK, I should be asleep but I think I just returned a favor. Dreading tomorrow, I cleared what was on the walk and car with a broom. And did Ben's too. Of course, still more inches to come down, but this is wet, sloppy snow, every bit helps. And he and I are the ones who use our front walk, rather than the alley.

OK, bed now.

me, I just tan unuexpectedly well if I get too much sun. (Which I've avoided since I left school.)

I've either seen you tan or seen a picture of you tan because I remember being surprised at your stealth melanin.

When I have traveled people always assume I am American. I am not sure what people have generally thought my ancestry was/is, but I do remember being confused by people asking what I was and where my family was from when I came to college - it wasn't something I ever think was discussed growing up.

You can imagine the types of question I have received about mac. Thank goodness not many and not usually in front of him. I may hit the first person who asks if he's my real son.

Tell them he's a hologram!

Pleeeeeease?!?!

Then, once you cold-cock them, you can glare down at them and snarl, "Too bad you're not, huh?"

I do remember being confused by people asking what I was and where my family was from when I came to college - it wasn't something I ever think was discussed growing up.

ChiKat once told me that, growing up in the South, she was never asked about her ancestry, but that it was a very popular question up here in Chicago. It was something everyone I knew always was able to answer, usually to the fraction (I'm 1/2 Irish, 1/4 Swedish, 1/8 French Canadian, and 1/8 English, for example).

Jesse - from a bit back - not X but Sheikh-ol-Eslami. Might as well have been X. Clearly spoken English but with a last name like that? Somehow must equal Militant Black Muslim.

J is so lucky we love her anyway. She with her deep New York accent and funny, sick sense of humor. These last few months were more bearable with her kind heart and support. And I always have that story of their meeting to make me laugh like a loon.

Huh. Isabella Rossellini's daughter looks like Terri Hatcher.

She's prettier than Terri Hatcher.