Life Update

No idea how I've gone this long without blogging. However, my one month no-politics period is over and done with, so expect at least a few political posts in the next week.

I've been undergoing a slight paradox this summer: computer or books? The very fact that I'm posting about this on the computer must make it seem like the books capitulated, but they've been waging quite a fight. I love books more than computer, yet I seem to spend more time on the computer. Perhaps because I can only talk to people I care about through the computer at some points, or maybe because of the low mental energy level computer use requires compared to reading a book, especially the books I read, which are rarely of the "Dick and Jane" variety.

That said, I've managed to get through a few good ones this summer. See my GoodReads widget on the lefthand side of of this blog for details on that.

We went to Chicago over the weekend, for my cousin's baptism and another cousin's baby shower. I mean, a baby shower for the as-yet unborn offspring of my cousin. I also had a Rachael-Ray-recommended dish called "French Toast Fantasy"--and it certainly was fantastic--at an incredibly expensive Swedish-influenced breakfast place in Chicago, and saw the Blue Man Group; a group of men, painted blue in case the title wasn't self-explanatory enough for you. That was mind-blowing. I urge you to see it. I drove most of the way to and from Chicago, except for between Madison and Chicago en route and from Chicago to Harvard, IL, on the way back. It was really my first long-distance driving experience, and I think it really increased my on-road confidence.

We also stopped at the International Crane Foundation (http://www.savingcranes.org/), where all fifteen species of crane in the world are exhibited. That was a blast. They're incredible birds, and we got to see them up close. We also got a cool window sticker for the Spudmobile, which by the way returned its best mileage since it came into our possession--23 mpg, over the long soporific monotony of the interstate.

Most of you know I have a job at McDonald's. It has all the intellectual stimulation of a coma, but it pays fairly well. I'm debating if I would quit it if another, better offer (say, from the library) came my way. I guess it would depend how flexible they would be to my hours at such a job.

Well, it's raining hard outside. I'm rather glad we decided not to go to the county fair again this afternoon; I expect it's raining there too.

Well, I'll be back later this week--before we leave for the Boundary Waters!-- with a political post at least, and perhaps a cultural post.