The Unlikeliest Alpaca

I met the cutest puppy today. It was tucked in a duffel bug, with only its head sticking out: perky ears and a toothy little grin.

"What kind of puppy is it?" I asked the owner, as I scratched it behind the ears.

She looked at me, slightly exasperated, and said, "Kangaroo."

Professional Geek

I haven't written much in here lately, and I'll try to post an explanation for that soon, but in the meantime, I wanted to add that I've been visiting the Texas Academic Decathlon state competitions this weekend, in Houston and San Antonio, and I feel so lucky: I have a job in which I can study interesting subjects, write footnotes, meet wonderful people and share alpacas with the world.

If you're a Decathlete, or a coach, or anyone else involved in the program, thank you so much for this opportunity.

Man and Elevator

"You're welcome to it," said the man, standing in front of an open elevator door.

I figured he was going up, so boarded, noted that the "L" button (for "Lobby") was already lit, and waited a while. The elevator doors didn't shut.

"It's stuck?"

"Yeah."

"Know where the stairs are?"

He shrugged. I looked around, spotted an exit sign, then found the stairs behind him to his left. They led directly to the lobby's "Cafe by the Lake."

"Stairs work," I said. He declined to come with me, which at the time baffled me--but in retrospect, maybe he was injured.