Yesterday we went to Washington State University's veterinary school where they were holding an open house. We walked through the building and stopped at many of the booths to hear information about caring for your pets. We pet several dogs, got lots of candy and watched a military dog demonstration.

In one section of the building they had a horse and cow on display. The horse, which you weren't allowed to touch, had its bone structure and internal organs painted on its side. The cow had it's various cuts of meat painted on its side and you were allowed to pet her all you wanted. Seems a little backward to me—come pet and love on this beautiful cow and see how she is going to be divided up for your eating pleasure. She was so pretty and friendly that I actually devised a mental plan on how to sneak her out of the building and into my backyard.

After the vet school we got to hear our friend Eric's band play.

Then we got Little Caesar's pizza and Ferdinand's ice cream. Yummy!!!

Last week I went for a walk around campus and ended up at the library. Ok, who am I kidding? I always end up at the library. Anyway, from the top of the Terrell Library you can look through the skylight and see down into the rotunda. It's a beautiful building.

On the ground floor of the library there were rows of chairs set up, along with a baby grand piano and a few tables. I decided to find out what was going on- hoping there was a recital I could stay for. As I entered the library, I saw a large sign with a photo of John Tarnai - it was a memorial service. Tarnai worked for more than 30 years in the Social and Economic Sciences Research Center. He had served as the director of SESRC since 1996.

I know all this because a nice woman came up as I was looking at the sign and asked if I was attending. I told her I had never met Tarnai, and asked her who he was. After telling me about his service at Washington State University, she directed my gaze to a table on the edge of the room.

The long table was covered with library books. There had to be more than a hundred - most were pretty unique from their neighbors. There were books on writing and journalism, entomology and chemistry, research and economics and many others. The woman let me take them all in before telling me they had placed them there so attendees could understand a little more about Tarnai's personality. She told me all of the books on the table had been found in his office after his death. All of them were books from libraries on campus and, from what she said, the majority of them were recommendations. She said he would come to the library to check out a book a colleague had recommended, or he had been wanting to read, and he would leave with several books recommended to him by the librarian who helped him. It sounded like he tried to read them all.

I couldn't stay for the memorial, since it started later and I had to get back to work, but I am told they shared stories about Tarnai that had been sent in by people from all over the country. People who had worked with him, corresponded  with him, or knew and used his research.

I hope there are such stories about me when I die, and I really hope they involve books.

It was Mom's Weekend last week at Washington State University, and University of Idaho will follow with their own "act like a co-ed" weekend beginning today. It's funny-- the universities also sponsor a Dad's Weekend, but it seems to me as though this is a time for the whole family to come to campus (mom, dad and younger siblings). But on Mom's Weekend it is mostly just the moms.

I call them "act like a co-ed" weekends for a reason.

Many moms who attend often try to relive their college years (or the ones they never had) during the two days they are on campus. They sleep in the dorms with their kids, wear skirts that are too short, shirts that are too tight and drink more in two days then they do all year at home. The university towns don't help either-- to some extent they encourage it. There are several wine tastings scheduled and the bars advertise that no mom stands in line for a drink.

But really, they don't need much encouragement. At last year's UI men's lacrosse game during Mom's Weekend, the moms brought their own wine glasses and bottles of wine to the sidelines. I hadn't realized lacrosse was such an upscale sport, but I guess it is the Northwest's polo.

What makes women act like children during this university weekend? Is it being away from their partner, their jobs, their regular lives? Are their kids embarrassed by them and for them? I know I would be embarrassed if my mom came to visit me on campus and got inebriated and out of control. Frankly, that would not have been an issue with my mom, but I can imagine if it was how embarrassing and uncool it would have been.

To all the moms out there, there are a few simple ways you can make your visit special without the drinking and debauchery. 
Take your student grocery shopping. Take them out for a nice meal that doesn't involve ramen noodles and mac and cheese. Buy a University of Idaho Mom sweatshirt and wear it proudly all weekend to show support.

Be a real mom.

                   

Well, this week Jon accepted Washington State University's offer of grad. school. We are NOT moving to Ohio after all. It is quite a relief, and I hope WSU will be good to Jon. If they're not good to him, they'll have me to contend with, and I can get pretty nasty when I'm angry.

Jon and I both have been loyal University of Idaho fans and alumni, so this transition will be a little hard to swallow. (Thank goodness it isn't BSU.) Jon said this weekend, "I guess I'll have to buy a WSU sweatshirt now." He sounded a little gloomy. Good thing our alma mater and Jon's new home for the next two years are only 8 miles from one another.