You want to hear about serendipity at it's absolute finest?

We were away for 3 1/2 days to Tucson to look at U of A, where he wants to study Computer Science. Tier 1 school, the best of two full rides offered. I realized that both coming and going we changed planes in Albuquerque, home of UNM, the other offer, and if I'd been thinking I'd have taken a few hours in town to let him visit that campus also. Not nearly so good, but still, a look would be useful. We get on ABQ to Dallas plane, I am in window seat ("Mom, you sit there, it doesn't recline,") he's in middle, a woman my age with interesting computer book sits beside him. We talk.

Turns out, she is chair of the UNM Computer Science Deptartment headed to a meeting. Really.

We quickly realized this unique conversational opportunity, she with a potential student, one of those cream of the crop ones they all want, and it was a great opportunity for him to get the full-wattage discussion and attention of a professor who would love to have him in her classes.

Want to know what else is serendipitous? We both grew up on Lake Whatcom in Washington. She was on the north east side, as far down that side of the lake as you could drive, and I lived on the south east side, at the end of the road there. No road all around the lake because the mountain on that side was too steep, there was a railroad trestle and we were never allowed to walk on it. Small world!