First thing, read Jethro's post. The incident was worth about 10 solid minutes of gut-busting-can't-catch-your-breath laughter for me.

Secondly, I want to thank everyone who commented on my last post. Each of them helped tremendously and I feel much better. I quit my job and I am staying at Jethro's parents during the day so I can watch grandma and finish my real estate classes. My folks will just have to get along without me for awhile.

Thirdly (and unrelatedly), my grandmother was a geneologist. She did much of our family history concentrating on the Irish/Scottish/Welsch branches of the family. I remembered hearing her bandy about the name of Snodgrass saying that we were direct decendants and could wear the tartan honestly if we wanted to. I've always been curious as to what that tartan looked like and now I found it. God bless the internet.

I looked up some history on the Snodgrass family, and I don't think they were ever a clan. I don't even think they ever had a tartan until fairly recently. Disappointing, but still interesting.

They were Lowland Scots, who were apparently darker, older, and less hyper than the tow-headed Highland Scots. But William Wallace was a Lowland Scot too, and his clan lived in the same vicinity as the Snodgrass family close to Ayrshire and Irvine. Perhaps the lowlanders just used their vigor to more specific purposes.

Anyway, it was an interesting discovery and my grandfather's side has more Scottish, I believe of the Highland, clannish variety. That probably accounts for my ruddy complexion. I'll find their family name and see if their tartans aren't prettier. I want Gwennie and Emma to learn about it. They get to wear Vietnamese stuff all the time, but I've had very little to offer them in the way of culture. Besides, I think they would look cute in kilts. But they have to wear their underpants.