Faculty Sandwich

As I have already mentioned, and will probably mention many times over, I commenced yesterday.  Just like I did four years ago (and hope to do again in 4-5 years), everyone believed in me and thought I could and then I went ahead and did.  All very anti-climactic stuff.  Mother seemed much more excited to be attending an H'bomb graduation than her daughter's graduation, and insisted we take a picture at every H sign.  At one point, she even put on my robe.  I wish I was making this up.

In the chaos of yesterday, I took some time to eat lunch in the courtyard, sandwiched between Prof Singer (there's no time for nicknames) and Prof Papa.  If Meredith wasn't already sitting there and talking with them, I probably would have avoided such a faculty fest, but she was, and so I sat, in total nerd glory, and gleaned some last bits of facetious Papa.

(on how faculty caps are like the hats at the royal wedding)

Papa: Oh yeah? Did you go?

Moi: No, I had a biostat lab so I couldn't make it.

Papa: That's why I didn't see you.  It was a lovely ceremony.

(on his years as the guy who 'hooded' the doctoral students during commencement and his problems with not knowing how much he could touch the female students' hair to make room for the hood)

Moi: Did you give each of them a personalized message?

Papa: I whispered a haiku in all of their ears.

Moi: But you're not very good at haikus.

Papa: I just said, "one two three four five-" and counted the syllables.

And finally, some injury prevention tips (after informing me that I was going to the school with the "second best injury prevention center" in the United States-- the same week that the vice chief contemplated Baltimore and said, "well, everyone makes one mistake in their life")

Papa: Don't throw your cap in the air.  That's a safety hazard.