Floppitude

Here we have some lovely demonstrations of the husky flop:





I was told, before meeting her, that Linden was just like Autumn, only a little sweeter and a bit not as bright. I wondered how anyone could possibly be sweeter than Autumn, who follows me around like a second shadow and lays her head on my lap at any opportunity. Well, Linden wants not to be my shadow but to fuse into me and be my new body part. She smooshes against me instead of leaning against me the way Autumn does. She's also a touch less bright. Their former family told me that Linden is like that because she was unusually cute as a puppy. So, while her seven brothers and sisters (including Autumn) were out running with the other dogs and learning survival and social skills, Linden was generally sitting in some human's lap. So now today she is what she is--sweet and affectionate and dense! She also has NO idea that it might be possible for humans to want to cuddle Autumn, or the bunnies, or each other. When you try, she comes over and pushes against you and looks up at you like, "Um, I know you actually meant to be hugging me, right?"

In other news, this has been a good week for me because there's been some conference going on in my building. A catered conference. So my hallways have been lined with food. It is a maxim that grad students never turn away free food, and you cannot get them to attend any event without providing food. And it doesn't have to be fancy food. Sandwiches, pizza, cookies. Just put it out, and they will come. The thing is, though, I've found that this doesn't just apply to grad students. This applies to everyone, even upper level managers in Sili valley companies, who comfortably make six figures. It isn't even about money or being a "starving student" at that point. Any of them could easily buy themselves a dozen cookies from the bakery, but how much more joy is there in arriving at a meeting and finding a plate of them sitting there for the taking? Among my more memorable examples of this phenomenon is at my most recent Sili Valley company. We had just won a contract with McDonald's. So at the celebratory meeting, they served McDonald's. And darned if we didn't all rush over there to chow down on disgusting McDonald's burgers and fries and "chicken" mcnuggets! Even today, I happily ate two giant brownies when I normally don't even like sweets! It's free food!

edit: holy halibut!!