Janet had accidently spilled a huge glass of water onto her laptop.

North_Fork_Trails said...
OMG! OMG OMG OMG!Please be very very cautious about your laptop! Water kills electronics! I am thinking, how can you be sure there isn't a drop or two in there, still? I would suggest setting it in the sun with the battery taken out and if possible the optical drive bay open ... I just don't know what to say ... it is almost enough to force you to take it in to the UCD bookstore, which as I understand it has a computer repair facility of some kind.OMG OMG OMG!If you can turn the thing in such a way that one single drop of water escapes ...OMG OMG!

luvya,Dad

April 18, 2008 6:47 AM

Janet was anticipating dinner at a Mongolian Barbeque.

North_Fork_Trails said...
Great news about the MacBook!

You know, WildMouse, he preferred Transylvanian Barbecue. The Wicked Witch of the East by Northeast (what a hottie!) would round up a bunch of sturdy yet songful elves, grab her Magic Sword, and go chop vampires into not-so-tiny, bloody pieces. Then, call WildMouse over, and barbecue those vampire pieces. The taste -- out of this world! Such a stirring, multi-faceted experience! In after years, when some random, quixotic event triggered recollection of those halcyon days, WildMouse would isolate himself in some darkened room of the vast and ancient palace, with scraps of filtered sunshine ghosting across the dim and distant walls, and listen to Schumann. A tiny tear would roll down his muscular cheek. His broad shoulders would shiver, slightly, as intense emotions threatened to overwhelm that powerful mouse. No one ever saw him in those rare moments.

April 21, 2008 10:47 AM

The professor in Janet's Latin class had them celebrate Rome"s birthday.

North_Fork_Trails said...
Ah yes, good old Rome, founded in 753 B.C. as tradition has it. Which is almost exactly when Greek colonies began to proliferate on the Italian peninsula and in Sicily. It is no accident that the Latin alphabet is derived from the Greek alpha, beta, ... .

In Plutarch we find interesting tales of the founding of Rome, in his Life of Romulus.

In Virgil's Aeneid, we find what traditionally happened just before the time of Romulus, immediately following the Trojan War. By this tradition, Rome arose from Trojan refugees. Perhaps, blurring our focus, we find the Romans wishing only to specify that they were *not* Greek, and, if anything, opposed to the Greeks.

Later, of course, by the time of Divus Julius, the Romans felt themselves much in the business of preserving and promulgating Greek culture. Sort of, "We Romans may not have the creative genius of the Greeks, but we know how to rule, and we will keep the Greek flame alive, through the centuries."

And they did ...
April 22, 2008 8:36 AM

When Janet ate at Chevy's her friends said it was Janet's birthday. Thus, she had to wear a sombrero during the meal.

North_Fork_Trails said...
Hey what's all this stress floating around?

Spanish sombra = shade, sombrero = shade-maker, compare English "somber.

"With great verve and flair, she wore her somber sombrero? Why isn't that a famous phrase?

April 22, 2008 3:13 PM

Janet wrote that all her classes are boring and that her Style class was overly philosophical.

North_Fork_Trails said...
Ah, the Philosophy of Style, and the Philosophy of the Philosophy of English Literature. Two of WildMouse's least favorite subjects, and I for one agree with the mighty mouse.

But -- how does one measure Insight or Understanding?

Do Insight and Undertanding become merely a matter of speaking loudly, with lots of self-assurance? I know, because, I loudly say I know?

Clamo, ergo cogito? What is the Latin for "I shout"?

April 24, 2008 9:34 PM

Janet's English prof had praised her essay topic - in front of the whole class.

North_Fork_Trails said...
Hmm ... great topic ... but essay does not exist ...

I would caution not to overreach yourself. If a comparison is apt but not perfect, don't hide the imperfections, don't ask too much from the analogies, where they do exist ...

April 30, 2008 7:58 AM

Janet got sunburned due to an unplanned nap. She was not sure she could get to Greg's play that night.

North_Fork_Trails said...
Asleep in the sun oh no!

The play begins at 7:00 p.m.

We saw it last night, it was great although Greg was thrust unexpectedly into a second role and had some trouble with a few lines that he was given like two hours to memorize. So he thinks he was terrible but he was great. It was quite a nice production, really, with quite a slew of witches writhing all over the stage in clouds of fake fog ...

May 3, 2008 6:58 AM

Janet had slept all day and felt better.

North_Fork_Trails said...
Good job on the sleeping!

If Greg hadn't recited Duncan's lines by mistake, it might have gone a little smoother ... and then he was always hamming it up, playing to the audience, as you can easily see on the

FRONT PAGE OF THE COLFAX RECORD!!!!

Heh heh ...

May 4, 2008 9:50 AM

Janet could wear bracelets again as she was not wearing long sleeved shirts.

North_Fork_Trails said...
Hey Dude like I said forward that photo to Gramcie.

Good job on the bracelets!

Good grade on the essay! Writing well is really tough.

May 6, 2008 5:57 PM

Janet wrote that her English essay had wavered a bit at the end - she thinks she disproved her point.

North_Fork_Trails said...
Managed to disprove your point? Yeek!

"Random jobs." What about something in writing possibly involving UC Davis in-house pubs or internet portal?

Your clothes sound great, a picture would be cool.

Greg will be home late, one hopes in time for Lost. If his adoring fans will let him leave his mini-mountain of roses ...

Oh yeah, good job, Janet and Eli, on the bike! Especially good if it does not fall off again!

May 8, 2008 2:38 PM

Janet wrote about the hot weather.

North_Fork_Trails said...
Hang in there, you're doing great!

Windy, but not hot, here. Gardens flourishing, in the most literal sense of the word. If you catch my drift.

Just finished a most bizarre book you probably purchased once at Heathrow, "Perdido Station." Not great, not terrible, but fairly original. Very very wordy. Everything is always dirty, diseased, degenerate, dreadful, and doubtful, but in a thousand different combinations which all have the same sum.

May 15, 2008 9:54 AM

Eli took Janet to Hooters for their six month anniversary.

North_Fork_Trails said...
What a hoot!

That swimming pool is a godsend!

Speaking of Latin, I was just reflecting, today, that Latin utrum -> Spanish otro == Portuguese outro == English other. In the English the original Latin word is pretty badly distorted, but the connection seems clear. Probably via French something-or-other.

Love you, et cetera,

Dad
May 18, 2008 3:32 AM

North_Fork_Trails said...
Yeah, well, hang in there, and, as a student of the language of the Angles (and what is the etymology of the English word-ending, "ish"?), isn't "argh" usually spelled with two r's?

Perdido Station. Of course, "perdido" means "lost" in Spanish. And Portuguese. Related to English "perdition." One imagines a Latin verb, perdere. Well, after way way too many words, the story finally gets going, with the arrival of the slake-moths. And there is no happy ending. One thinks there will be. But no.

Oh yeah! Because you gave "Iron Man" an A-, Greg and I went and saw it in Colfax last night! We figured, an A- from Janet is equal to anybody else's A+++, so it was worth a look. And we liked it!

Luvya,

D
May 20, 2008 7:04 AM

Janet was looking for a summer job.

North_Fork_Trails said...

Hey Dudeling,I see that UC Davis has its own television station. Why don't you become a writer-producer for them?

Luvya,

D
May 26, 2008 3:47 PM

Janet wrote about being bored, hungry and tired.

North_Fork_Trails said...
Very good! Hang in there, you're doing great!

It is actually trying to rain this morning!

Gay is gardening despite the Intrepid Ground Squirrels of Doom, who chomp every seedling not surrounded by chicken wire, squirrel wire, whatever it's called ...

Luvya,

D
May 23, 2008 9:20 AM

Janet wrote about the last episode for the season of "Lost".

North_Fork_Trails said...
Dude, I told Greg, "I need Janet to explain that to me." And the ship explodes ... but because Time is somehow malleable maybe the ship can still not-explode ... I don't know what is going on!
May 30, 2008 9:10 PM

Janet wrote about the need to suffer pain so that she could write about pain - thus she was the target for her friends with paintballs.

North_Fork_Trails said...
While bruises are good, welts are better.

They say WildMouse devised the language, "Weltic," during his paintball phases ...

June 1, 2008 8:25 PM

Janet posted a very colorful picture of her worst paintball wound.

North_Fork_Trails said...
Wow, good one! The Every-Which-Color Badge-of-Courage! Well, badge of something.

Yes.Your first year of college almost over! C'est impossible!

June 2, 2008

4:43 PM

Janet was very happy that she had had her last lecture for the quarter.

North_Fork_Trails said...
Wahoo! Yay! Or is it "yea"?

I liked the little animations. Not all of them had backgrounds. I also looked at the photo of Dubai. Wow.
Hang in there, you're doing great! I hope we'll have you here this summer, you can write your next novel!

Luvya,

D
June 6, 2008 7:08 AM

Janet wrote about feeling anxious.

North_Fork_Trails said...
Wow that's weird, like a panic attack or something. I am worried.

For a good panic attach scenario, consider what just happened to Greg, ten minutes ago; he drove to Auburn to go bowling with friends, parked at the bowling alley, looked into the back seat, and there it was: a three-foot-long snake!

With a strongly patterned back, like a rattlesnake.

But it had no rattles.

Hence, what species was it, Janet?

I told him to drive to a wild area to release it, but it apparently slithered gracefully inside the back seat and out of view.

Luvya,

D
June 8, 2008 6:19 PM

Janet wrote that most all her things were up at Moody Ridge except the bare necessities.

North_Fork_Trails said...

Wildmouse patiently taught Davy Crockett never to leave his log cabin without the "bar necessities."

June 11, 2008 8:32 AM

Janet had expected a "B" in her "Style" class - she got an "A". The first comment was mine.

Anonymous said... (that's me)
Fantastic - my ultra stylish grand daughter did it! Who cares what your other grades are? But keep up the good work - love you lots, G
June 12, 2008 7:47 AM
North_Fork_Trails said...
Yeah, listen to your grandmother, nothing counts except style, crooking your little finger just so while holding your cup of tea, etc. etc.

Good job tho,

D
June 12, 2008 10:40 AM

Janet happily got a "B" in Latin.

North_Fork_Trails said...
Wow! Way to go on the grades!

We need to read the Loeb Library edition of the Gallic Wars together so you can cement your understanding of Latin.

The Pentagon is planted!

June 17, 2008 12:10 PM

Janet was frustrated that she had not received a promised call re a summer job.

North_Fork_Trails said...
Maybe they've been trying to call here and getting busy signals?

Two rattlesnakes visited today. One got stuck in the chicken wire around Gay's new plot near the hot water tank. I had to cut the wire or it would have died right there. But it is tough to decide whether to kill them off or not. One can kill one and know that that snake at least will never bite you; but what about the rest? You'd never get them all.

June 21, 2008 4:19 PM

Janet and her boyfriend, Eli, had been reading cookbooks and then shopping and cooking.

North_Fork_Trails said...

This is incredible! Next you will be making your own popcorn and adding Lemon Zest to it! Who is this "Eli" anyway?

June 30, 2008 7:40 AM

Janet was not having success in her job hunt.

North Fork Trails said...

Well I must say I am not disappointed you will not be working at Ross. You should know you would be a great addition to almost any company, and a newspaper or magazine would be lucky to snag you.

I saw Jess M at Smarts Crossing today, he will be working on a degree in journalism at San Jose State. But right now he is taking a year off from school. To bum around Europe, you ask? No, to work.

Weird.

Luvya,

D
July 14, 2008 4:41 PM

North_Fork_Trails said...


Hey Dude that's not enough to eat!

Well, starvation aside, it sounds like a nice day.

I saw a great garter snake at the New Pool today. But it appeared to have scared away four of five frogs, and the only one remaining was at the bottom of the pool holding its breath.

Luvya,D
July 15, 2008 9:54 PM

Janet listed everything she had eaten that day.

North_Fork_Trails said...

Hey Dude that's not enough to eat!

Well, starvation aside, it sounds like a nice day.

I saw a great garter snake at the New Pool today. But it appeared to have scared away four of five frogs, and the only one remaining was at the bottom of the pool holding its breath.

Luvya,

D
July 15, 2008 9:54 PM

Janet was brainstorming ideas for her writing and rereading "Pride and Prejudice".

North_Fork_Trails said...
Oi amiga,

You could rewrite "Pride and Prejudice" and set it in the 37th century, in outer space, with all kinds of outlandish advanced slang, and realistic details of the flying cars and dome-shaped mansions on the Moons of Terraboudicea!

D
July 27, 2008 10:47 AM

Janet had been searching for inspirations for her writing. She was reading 'Pride and Prejudice".

North_Fork_Trails said...
Oi amiga,

You could rewrite "Pride and Prejudice" and set it in the 37th century, in outer space, with all kinds of outlandish advanced slang, and realistic details of the flying cars and dome-shaped mansions on the Moons of Terraboudicea!

D
July 27, 2008 10:47 AM

Janet was rereading "To Kill a Mockingbird"

I had entered a comment about the mockingbirds where we used to live and the beautiful singing at night.

The following was Russ's last comment.

north_fork_trails said...


It seems to me that once Karen, or maybe it was Shellie, (both sisters) had a persistent cough, and for a while those mockingbirds imitated her cough!

D
August 4, 2008 8:19 PM