The occasion called for something slightly celebratory, yet banausic.

On my way to class I pondered what that might be.

"I know! A new special notebook with a ribbon to mark the page...And it will be dedicated exclusively to notes for my dissertation, like that one she had at the meeting yesterday!"

I don't worry that she'll think I'm stealing her idea. We're alike in many ways, one of which would be a shared originality fetish. I can see my "dedicated" notebook going the way of hers, though...

Not quite late, she plopped down in the seat next to me and placed her materials on the table in front of her. "Oooh," I said, poking the chic little notebook. "Yeah, I couldn't find the notebook I do lesson plans in so I grabbed this one. I'm keeping all my notes for my thesis in it." I approved, "Good idea! It's all cool and special so it keeps the research interesting and glamorous. And way organized. A place for everything and everything in its place..." She nodded exaggeratedly and opened the notebook to its 3rd or 4th page. My eyes dropped down to a few crude drawings of Sponge Bob. When I looked back up, I tried to do the María Félix raised eyebrow that would convey something mocking yet affectionate. "Tu tesis." "Oh, yeah, well. I let my kid draw in it to keep him busy and quiet the other day."

I'm already wondering what extraneous information and images will find their way in to my as yet nonexistent special thesis notebook. In my manic pursuit of the original, I still haven't found just the right one...