goodness, i do like doug.

an unrelated story about alder:

inertiacrept used to complain about being allergic to alder. i privately thought he was being whiny and ridiculous, because in MN, alder only grows in fairly select areas, usually near lakeshores in small patches. it's like being allergic to marigolds or something — yeah, you see them every now and then, but are there really enough to cause you that much misery?

and then i moved to the pacific northwest. and now i understand. and it turns out that i'm likely quite allergic to alder, too.