“Oooohhhh…..congratulations A,” says Paz in her thick latin accent and painted eyebrows walking up beside A, my fellow researcher at work as he discussed his school issues with me. I love her sweet face and gentle rolling words and most of all I love that quite often I am certain she’s drunk.

“Congratulations on what?” A asks kindly.

“Congratulations you starting law school!” she smiles boldly and I want to hug her and nuzzle my face in her poofy brown hair. She’s what everyone would want for a humorous, loving, grandmother. Perhaps an intoxicated grandmother, but whatever.

“Umm….I am…umm….actually in the middle of law school. I’m almost finished.” A stumbles around trying to keep from sounding rude.

“Oh. Congratulations you in middle of law school!!" she says with a huge smile. She pats him on the back and says "Ah. Judge A." He smiles and contains a laugh.

"Yes...Judge A....doing something so good…there are lots of things to celebrate,” she continues. I smile at her optimism.

“You gonna have to study for the bar aaaallll during Christmas, right?” she says later.

“Well it’s a good thing I’m Jewish.” A responds.

“Oooh…so you hav’ a big somethin' tomorrow?”

“Yes it’s our New Year.”

“And what you do—get rid of all your junk?”

“That’s Passover.”

“So what you do? Have some food?”

“Yes…we eat LOTS of food…”

“That's good. And then what comes after that?”

“Well next Friday we have Yom Kippur when we fast.”

“And what holiday is after that?”

“Next is Hanukkah.”

“Hanukkah,” she says and nods slowly. “And what you do for that? What’s that about?”

“Well it’s not really from the Torah but it’s the celebration of the miracle--”

“Of Jesus.” she interrupts decisively--- smiling and nodding.

A and I nearly choked from hidden giggles. I admit-- I fell over.