Salad FINALLY recognised as deadly

"And then I'm gonna launch a virtual
attack on the US government intranet"
- Chinese cucumber

I have long suspected that salad could kill me.  Now I know for sure and I look smugly at my mother, a former nurse, every time the BBC flashes up it's grizzly headlines.  1500 people have been infected with cucumber e-coli in Europe.  And cases of cucumber death can be passed on through close contact.  So do NOT under any circumstances make contact with a cucumber.   Especially if it's foreign.

No more salad for me, no sir!  Even the Russian government is banning EU cucumbers.  The Russians are above petty posturing towards the West, so this must indeed be serious.

But there is some good news from East of the pond.  I have an interview at the US Embassy for my visa!  At this rate I'll be back in DC by the end of June.

We have, I can also confirm, a lodger!  She is a young graduate, interning at the Senate this summer.  Hank likes her and she does seem utterly adorable (on skype, at least).  I hope she will find a job and be able to stay with us into the winter.  The presence of a lodger will ease the financial situation of course but she should also provide some good company for Hank and Tock while I am away.   I am looking forward to meeting her.