Secret Science Siren Song

Ah, who can resist the song of the sirens? Inexorably luring, ineffably beautiful, it draws us on. I've made no secret that I've been addicted to The Secret Science Club since day one. Today, I'm happy to say that my brillaint cousin Val will be joining me in the trek down to Brooklyn. Is she not her cousin's cousin?

My cousin Val is the elder child of my dad's youngest brother (dad was third out of eight kids)- she is considerably younger than myself. I first met Val when she was a baby, and I have to say, the first thought that came into my head when I saw her wasn't "Someday, I will have a beer with this beautiful baby." The fact that I will be going out for a beer with that selfsame baby is extremely cool. Being older and wiser (and beerier) than I was, I am now more likely to say, "I'd like to have a beer with that baby someday." As a matter of fact, there are babies that I'd totally have a beer with. Indeed, there are babies that I have had a beer with.

My cousin Val is beautiful- she wears the classic "family face". When she was a baby, she looked remarkably (and remark we did) like my older brother Sweetums did when he was a small child. When I look at her, I am reminded of numerous relatives... I can even see traces of faces of elder generations I know only from photographs. It's pretty amazing to see that classic look embodied in a thoroughly modern young lady. Even more importantly, cousin Val is also an exemplar of the family braininess and wit. Plus, she has always been really great about sharing her kayak with everybody when we trek up to Maine.

I'm pretty sure that my cousin, being a brainiac, will be thoroughly taken by the siren song of Secret Science. At any rate, it will be a late night... the sirens sing no lullaby.