( continues...) first time in two years (but I did not actually finish the gimlet).

Tomorrow I'll go into work, and someone will mistake me for the owner of the front page of the main application, and I'll field that request, because that business group now only talks to me. The PM will come to me, because on his second project here he's come across a problem our programmer already solved on the last project, and can I do some research and find out what the fix is for his new project, please?

Yeah, we can, because the developer is rock star like that. He will send your team his query, and it will be the template for how it's done from now on.

See that development model with three overlapping teams? No one has deployed with that model before us. Watch this space. Watch badassed back ends and tight hi tech slickly usable web pages. Watch us do it smoothly next time! They did say it couldn't be done, or it wouldn't be worth it, but I wanted to get my way, because this was important.

And lo, it was coded. We got to market on time, with a development team spread across Southern Cali (many of us work from home), in Minnesota, and in India and across divisions. It worked and it was pretty, and now I have a pen, a phone screen wipe and a fuck of a lot of contacts to show for it. I might just have impressed the Director of marketing.

They were looking for 5% penetration into the application in a year, and they got 10% in two weeks. Next stop, retention. Next stop, the moon.

I hope I'm on that project. And the next, and the one after that.

Bravo, ita.

ita !, it's beyond awesome to see you feeling that kind of mastery and joy in what you do. You're way overdue, and it sits well on you.

That's really impressive, ita. And I'm glad work is more than just clocking in and out for you but a source of satisfaction and growth and intimacy and creativity and pride.

ita ! Mazel Tov! You did fabulous work and got appreciated and appreciate back. I'm so happy for you. You totally deserve this!

G-D DAMMIT. This means no gumbo for me.

Don't know if this is too late. But if you use Okra that thickens a gumbo nicely. How I always made Gumbo, just because I like okra and less work than roux. Also, something I never knew until checking wiki - some Gumbos are thickened with dried sassafrass leaves.

Filé! Not sure I got the accent right. I used to dump that stuff into everything, so delicious.

Your triumph is so great to read, ita ! Hitting my allergies, a little.

Next stop, the moon.

yep, ita moon.

I'm glad that work has been such a triumph, ita.

Skipping 4-digits-number-of-posts because I'm grading. Um, I mean, because I'm supposed to be grading, so I have to take a break every now and then, so I got to go over and share this [link]

Pi baby photos! Oh my those eyes and that smile are a killer combination!

That's great, ita! I'm so glad you brought it and we're recognized for it.

What font do you have on your resume?

Garamond, I believe. I probably need to update that, as well as the contents.