Two things:

1) Last night Buckwalter and I discovered a new joy -- there are two bar/restaurants with strong drink and appetizing appetizers just a mile's walk from here. We went out to celebrate the union of Mr. and Mrs. Muffin (congrats, folks!) and had a lovely time. Good reception, you guys!

2) There are a lot of fat people here. Now, I don't mean "overweight." I mean fat. I mean like the lower abdomen gut that pushes through the zipper area of the shorts and helps to make a serious indent at the waist where a belt is holding on for dear life between the two walls of fat. Yikes. But I will say that living among the large has done quite a bit for my own body image. Suddenly, I don't feel too overweight anymore. It helps when every other female teacher at your school is HUGE, except for the young, blonde one, and then you. I feel like maybe we should find another attractive short-haired brunette and then form a Charlie's Angels group...but my crime fighting skills aren't really up to snuff. (And who would we find to be Charlie? There aren't too many male teachers who bear resemblance at my school). But there's another way in which I did not forsee this being a good move...heightened self- esteem at the expense of the health of others.