overheard, part one

Today I had lunch with my friend D. Gregg who is a professor of City and Regional Planning.

Mar: Where are you from?
D. Gregg: I grew up in Suburban Phoenix — which is redundant.

We went on to have a fabulous conversation about our passion for the em-dash. D. Gregg said that he always goes over the hyphen and the em-dash with his classes.

"One brings things together and the other sets things apart," said D. Gregg and I was completely floored because I have never met a person before who really spoke my hyphen/em-dash language.

He wasn't that familiar with the en-dash, tho, so I told him the difference between the en-dash and the em-dash and felt quite chuffed indeed.

overheard, part twootytoot

After work I ran into Melanie and I was really excited to see her. I've been thinking of her and Derek a lot since Live Oak, but, well, you know me: I suck at getting in touch with anyone. Everyone. I'm the Equal Opportunity Not Getting in Toucher.

Big news = Melanie is preggers and due some time in March 2006 (2006 = the year of the dog). My first question was "oof. no booze?" (i was kidding, people) (but of course so ecstatic for the two of them because they are a truly fabulous couple; i adore them) while most everyone else's first question has to do with the gender of the baby.

Most everyone else: Do you know what you're having?
Melanie: Yes, a Pisces Dog.

See, it is responses like that that let you know you really, truly and totally admire somebody.