12:31

Not sure where the nickname saltydog came from. But it's the only one I have ever liked. So why not the saltydog blog? Alas, someone already grabbed it. So now the ever-annoying task of choosing a variation on the name. saltydog123? Nah. About as intelligent as my thumb. saltydog04? Why choose something that will be relevant for 9 more months? So what number will be meaningful, but not too personal? Think. Think about dates. Think about times. Think about favorite take-out menu items. Think about... a-ha. 12:31. A throw-back to good times. The longest lasting inside-joke with my roomates from freshman year of college. A number that makes me smile.

So there we were. Having breakfast one morning during the first week of college. The four of us. And Hans.

Hans was the faculty advisor assigned to the four of us for the year. His role? Just to be there for us if we had any questions or problems, or if we just wanted to shoot the shite. Because every freshman wants to confide in a man who looks to be not a day younger than 101. Ahh. Grandpa Hans. Anyway, there we were, having breakfast with the oldest freshman advisor on the planet (check the Guiness Book, no lie) and each rapping with him about our first week. He turns to me and asks "so, what time have you been getting to sleep?" My reply: "12:30, 1:00". He looks me in the eye, dead serious, and says: "tvelve sirty vun? you're dat preeecise??"

Classic. Thanks Hans.