10:11 p.m. - December 28, 2002
Go away and leave me in peace, and take the damn slimy dog with you
Fie on those who drop by unnanounced! My father's Lady Friend brought her son's fiancee's sister (I think that's the bloodline) here for a few minutes with the stated goal of introducing us because as the Lady Friend said, He can help you get into Stanford and since slamming the door in their faces is simply not good protocol, I invited them in. Jesus. With the banshee dog in the background, a beaming Lady Friend on the right, and a sincere naif on the left, I could only do what I do best: Evade and discourage, make her do the talking while I listened and watched the clock.
They were here for nearly 20 minutes. I believe I did my duty by the Lady Friend and thus preserved family harmony, though I didn't really say much at all about the ins and outs of Stanford. I mean come on, do I serve on selection committees and wield Welcome! or You Dumb-Ass, How Could You Even Consider Us! letters? I'm a graduate student (well, not again until January, but still) but this is a common perception, that once in, one becomes an admissions maven. If that were so, I wouldn't be the only one hawking my services in conjunction with Kaplan & Co. and taking out full-page Yellow Page ads in the How To section.
I'm doubly annoyed tonight; the banshee dog, unexpected company; and my phone keeps ringing, so that makes me tripley annoyed (yes, yes, I know: Tripley is not a word).
Bah humbug.
Or something.
