Cast of Characters

Dean: my beloved husband

Nellie, Wrigley, and Allison: my rambunctious cats

mom, dad (dearolddad), stepdad, stepmom, stepsis: I think this is self explanatory

Sylvia: Dean's mom

James: my partner in crime at work (he doesn't "give a crap" about his real name being used)

Dr. Hari: our advisor, mentor and boss

runnergirl: good friend and fellow blogger

my girls: my three best girlfriends from Minnesota

my boys: either the boys in my lab or the Minnesota Twins depending on the context

dumpster kitties: the feral cat colony I feed that lives behind the dumpster

Note: I must introduce another good friend that always prefers to remain anonymous. I often refer to her as "another blogger", "anonymous blog buddy", "fellow female physicist" or a similar descriptive phrase which conveys a friend who doesn't wish to be identified.