Yesterday went to a retirement luncheon for two professors at the College of Charleston who I have known since I came here in 1979. For those of you who remember 1979, it was the year before the first Charleston Conference and it was also PI (pre-Internet), PW (pre-Web), and for our library,PC (pre-computers). Years later, I was lucky enough to have the only IBM correcting Selectric typewriter in the library. Anyway, to return to these two professors -- Bob Dukes and Laney Mills -- they are retiring from the College. Bob has spoken at the Charleston Conference more than once and is always very funny as well as insightful, (not always the case with physics/astronomy professors -- the funny part, I mean). In fact, now that Bob has all this free time, I think I will ask him to come and comment regularly at the 2009 Charleston Conference. And maybe Laney will join him?

Other events here at the College, we are getting ready for exams and our students are having their second Rave tomorrow night. I will not be here, will just watch the after movies on YouTube. We are still experiencing budget anxieties and are keeping our fingers crossed as the SC legislature and the governor try to iron out their "differences."

Oh! And I almost forgot, my daughter Ileana is graduating from Medical School on May 15 and we are having a big celebration afterwards! She will be doing her residency for three years here in Charleston so we will have the benefit of her medical expertise a little longer.

And another Oh! Forgot to tell you about the last Cooper River Bridge Run which was Saturday April 4, 2009. Over 31,000 runners participated (no, I was not one of them) My son Raymond and his sister Ileana ran the race together and I just got a picture of them at the finish line which I am going to have blown up and framed.

Today (Friday) is our last day at work until the 5 of January. Time to get a lot done plus go to a lot of parties. They turned off the air conditioning in the library on Wednesday to work on the HVAC system in the new science building directly across the street. We didn't think it would be a problem since it is winter, but, instead, the weather yesterday was 75 degrees so it was hot as the dickens in the library! Just one more day and we are being dismissed early (3 PM). Meanwhile, there are rumors of more budget cuts but no specifics yet. I am working on Rumors for the Dec/Jan print issue of ATG and they are always fun to write. And getting ready for Midwinter too. Happy Holidays everyone!