I got someone hooked on "Heaven's Harlots".

Over a year ago I ordered my one friend from high school who now studies gender issues in psychology a copy of Miriam Williams's "Heaven's Harlots". She finally got around to reading it on vacation this past year, and when I just saw her the other week for the 1st time since then, she immediately told me how much she loves it, and how she's going to read it carefully a 2nd time so she can teach it, too.

She says the author is like a hero to her, both for being so courageous but also for doing so much with her life after leaving the cult; she said her online CV would be impressive for any scholar, especially one with a late start who put herself through school while raising 5 children.

I had mentioned that I wanted to bring the author in to my campus for a lecture in the future, and my friend was like, "Tell me and I'll come, I'm there."

"To meet her?", I was like.

"That would be great, but even just to hear her speak," she said.

She also said that she might call up HarperCollins to try to get a free teaching copy of Miriam Williams's new book when it comes out, and she might try to write a paper so she can present at a conference she'd be attending and they could meet for coffee to talk about their work.

And she might try to friend her on Facebook!!!

A Story of Home (2 of 2): Savings.

I was telling my parents how I didn't get a fellowship for next year and was looking for a part-time job, but I told them not to worry too much right now because I had $8000 in savings.

"Eight thousand in savings?", my dad was like, "That ain't piss."

Addendum.

I forgot -

I told this to my parents, and my mom was like, "Why did she do that? You should never invite someone over to the house on a first date."

I told her that she should be more forgiving, because Mrs. [last name removed] has been out of the game for a while.

A story of home (1 of 2): Dating.

A friend from high school's husband's mother, who was widowed 2 years ago, is starting to online date, and has been talking with a retiree from downstate, and they're getting read to meet.

She's having him over to the house, so she's making sure her youngest son who lives nearby will be home, and she told him to be sure to go out and snap a picture of the guy's license plate so they can run it and see if he really is who he says he is.

How odd my eating habits are.

The weather was in the 90s the past week and I made up some beef barley soup, because I really had a taste for it!

A (black) person story (II of II): Train ride.

The other morning going in the train was coasting in as I ran up to the platform, and just ran inside as the one eccentric conductor announced over the loudspeakers, "Doors closing, so be careful, speedy!"

He made jokes all the time I was on the train like he has other times I've been on it, including saying stuff like, "Doors closing, peace be with you."

I also noticed people waved to him as they passed by him on the platform after getting off.

When I got off the platform, the guy was leaning out the window and checking to make sure everyone was proceeding off in an orderly manner, and he was this (black) guy in an old-style conductor's hat and big black sunglasses and a smile, and I was like, "Have a good morning!" as I walked past him, and he reached out to shake my hand.

A (black) person story (I of II): Cab ride.

A bus was way late (I was at school and needed to go meet a friend downtown; one bus dropped off the schedule, so I was waiting 35 minutes), and this older (black) lady in a jacket with a Post Office uniform underneath and a walker was talking to some (black) (male) coworker who was also late, and they went to hail a cab, and since they seemed interesting and the bus would have been packed, I chased after them and ended up sharing a cab downtown.

The older (black) lady was telling me how her son runs a store that sells cologne and cosmetics, and I should stop by. She told me the intersection, but I couldn't picture it, and then when I asked her what it was near, she was like, "Oh, you know, that lingerie store," and as soon as I said that, I was like, "Oh, there!", and she chuckled and said, "Somehow, everyone knows what that is!".

She was also saying how her husband used to own a store (a restaurant, actually), and he got shot down 24 years ago, and her son who was 6months old then is now following in his footsteps.

She said they caught the guys, but there was a payoff to the judge and they got off.

She also said she heard a rumor that they went in to scare him so they could buy up the property, but then things got out of hand, so she went to meet the guys who shot him and told them, "You could have just asked him, he would have sold it, but you shot the wrong person, because now you're dealing with me, and I'm not selling."