i cheerfully watched most of the graduation proceedings on the lawn from home on my laptop while packing, and quite glad i hadn't gone. i was already resolved not to go - but the rain was the final clinching factor. "i've rescued you from a muddy fate, pa" i told my dad, when i called home that morning. when i met up with christine's family for lunch later, her parents told me it had been the most disorganised, wet and cold experience, and you couldn't see a thing for all the umbrellas. i don't think i quite get the hang of this graduation fuss, although i suppose if people want to be extra-nice to me for any reason at all i'm all for it! and they were! christine's parents took us to lunch at northern exposure and i was astonished that they brought graduation presents for me too - chocolates, and a white fluffy bear which i have yet to name. nohrnberg thought he should have a riddler's name, but i think that's enough of the riddling. lunch was very good, and we got rather plied with champagne, because they kept saying to the waiter - give it to the two graduates. which was alright for christine - she was skipping her diploma ceremony and quite done for the day - but i still had to go to the english diploma ceremony afterwards with pink cheeks. bob reeder went to it as my brother. he wore a red tie with goofy giraffes on it and sat in the middle of the parents' section and waved encouragingly and made me go through with it just when i'd changed my mind at the sight of all the people and said, i'm not doing it! nohrnberg said i wanted bob there for showing off "because everyone else has family coming. you just want to prove you have people too!" heehee. but whoever said having people is unimportant! and i hugged nohrnberg! on stage! in front of everybody! after i got my diploma from clare kinney i went up to where nohrnberg was sitting and pounced on him! he was quite pleased about that. "then the chairman will know i've got students" ha-hah! it wasn't just me either, another student of his did too. he was the only professor there who was twice saluted too. so there! i only wish i did get highest distinction - that would have made him proud. oh well. i guess it's gratifying enough knowing that the three readers had the same thing to say, and 382, well - wtf, like nohrnberg says, it rhymes with waterloo. enough! when i am queen, there will be a loud rumbling of rolling heads.