Waging a war with grade grabbers

I just posted my students' grades last night and this morning I find the first complaint in my mailbox. This intermediate level student is "socked" by her C+ grade and she writes: "I am socked. What is go on? I demand to know about that !!!!!!" This in spite of having 75% on her 1st assignment (10% of her final grade) and all of 29% on her written exam (20%). Thanks to my sister-in-law all the grades are calculated via MS Excel, checked and re-checked. I believe I am in for a lot of fun with a lot of enquiries. I composed an email auto response, but I can only write 10 lines. I have to apply the bell curve and students know that they compete against one another. I hate this aspect of my job! Enough to give you a lasting headache.

On a lighter note: last night my niece and nephew entertained me till wee hours telling me jokes that they heard on the Comedy Channel. Highlights: if an Icelander 'does it' with a Cuban their babies will be called little 'icecubes'; if a French person 'does it' with a 'Greek' they will get little - can you guess?- Freeks.
Before the jokes, my niece played the piano for me. She's improved so much. She can really play nicely. She played 'the color of the wind' from Pocahontas and I sang. Marko then played the guitar, a piece he had played in a competition about two weeks ago and won the second prize. My big little giant, this "kid." I am worried about him in the plane. He'll be so cramped.

My sister-in-law buys a big cake with layers of fresh cream and fruit almost every day. We enjoyi it with coffee or chilled white wine on the balcony - and we're all getting fatter by the minute. As god is my witness, I wlll go for a walk NOW! Later today Marko (my nephew) and I are going to a bookstore to find something good to read over the summer. The bookstore is located within a huge shopping center complete with 20 unit AMC movie theater. There are so many movies to see.
It's so good to be here! The day again is gorgeous and sunny.