PSA #1 is a broader-painted version of the inverse of something gridlore and I got in the habit of when he was still Sick: If you ask one of us "How are you?" you're gonna get the unvarnished truth. Doug was a little too busy trying not to DIE to have the time for social niceties. Likewise, unless you're someone I only know professionally, if I ask "How are you?" I expect the truth. (And sometimes even if I only know you professionally.... When Doug and I were still at StupidShuttle, one of our dispatchers was quite clearly making the slow, sad transition from HIV+ to PWA. He came back to work after several days off once, and when he told me he was "fine," I looked him square in the eye and said "That's nice. Now tell me the real answer.")

You have my word that any question you may ask me will be taken at face value, and I will answer it as fully as I can at the time. And if I can't (whether that can't is "I've been sworn to secrecy" or "I'm not comfortable discussing that subject here/now/with you/[FITB]"), I'll tell you so.