My sister Molly's current favorite movie is "Old School", replacing previous favorites "Slackers", "The Breakfast Club", and "Ice Castles". She adores the film, going so far as to dub her own stomach "Frank the Tank" on memorable Santa Barbara evenings. "Old School" has also brought a new dimension to my and Molly's relationship.

I have a bad habit, not just with Molly, of becoming distracted by the printed word during conversation. Uusually, I am able to fake my way through the conversation with a well-placed, "Yeah?" or "Oh?" to disguise my lack of attention, but Molly is too smart to be fooled.

In "Old School", Vince Vaughn's character has a novel method of swearing in front of his young son. When he says "earmuffs", the kid covers his ears, allowing adults to use whatever profanity they want. Molly has redefined this term. If I'm reading, she accuses me of having put on virtual "earmuffs". Which is why our conversations, especially if I'm in front of a sports section or a computer screen, are often punctuated by Molly screaming, "You're 'muffing me! Stop 'muffing me, Sean! What did I just say? Don't 'muff me, dammit!"

Happy Birthday, Molly!