Apparently, the cats look forward to me opening the door.  They’ve all learned to jump the back fence, although not all of them have learned to jump back in (which would be great, since the cat door opens to the back).  Methinks the cats like to trap themselves out front so I have to play the doorman again.

I’m looking forward to the following:

1. having a break from teaching.  As much as I love teaching (and I really, really do), it’s a difficult job to do non-stop, so I need to recharge a bit.

2. being on track with the book.  Denise and I are going gangbusters & now that I have a teaching break, the writing will go faster.

3. perhaps holing up in a cave/condo/cabin somewhere with a laptop to write said book.

4. Margaret Atwood’s new novel, The Year of the Flood, which comes out September 22nd.

5. The Simpsons, Season 12 on DVD, dropping on the 18th.  The boy, who is 16 today, is going to buy it for me for my birthday.

In order: I saw Niagara Falls at night, which is when they light the water with lasers. There were people of all colors and water of slightly more colors. Purple water and red water is lovely, but yellow water is a bad idea.

The falls are amazing, though the city around them is overgrown and the sound of the falls isn’t as loud as you anticipate. Do they inspire awe? Yes.

Did I think about SUPERMAN II the whole damn time? Sure did.

Eddie Izzard is going to run 1100 miles over the next few weeks for charity. Better him than me.

I’ve been flying a lot recently & I actually saw an airline worker go off on a disgruntled passenger. In other words, she yelled back after he started in on her. I can’t say I blame her. I don’t think I could do that job. And each time I was in an area of a delay, there was some guy or another yelling. One man in particular was screaming that the airline shouldn’t have sold him a ticket if the flight wasn’t going to go on time. When the staff tried to explain weather, he (with the most comically downturned lips I had ever seen) said that the weather wasn’t the point, but that in his business, he can’t sell something blah blah blah. Have these people never flown before?

The Matthew Shepard Act has passed. I’m of two minds about it. On the one hand, I want protection for those people who are attacked because of hate. On the other, it’s weird to persecute people because of the thoughts they had when hurting someone.

Of course, if we could count on people and police to protect people who were being attacked because of their nationality, race, sexuality, etc., we could all rest a bit better, but in too many places, people turn away from what their society and beliefs make abject.

At least all those senators who said the Matthew Shepard story was a “hoax” and who indicated that all homosexuals are pedophiles were voted down. In fact, can’t we get them for hate speech now?

In other news, I saw a new edition of ORYX AND CRAKE that indicated that it was the first in the MADADAM TRILOGY. So I guess we’re about to get something new going on in AFTER THE FLOOD, which comes out in September. Margaret Atwood fans, get ready!

My dear friend David, after being incommunicado for quite some time:

You’re more important to me than my behavior indicates.

I just love that. I want to preemptively say that to everyone I know or will ever know.

Especially those whom I know during difficult times. Of course, you can always try Ken’s approach to dealing with me. I tell him what I’m worried about. “Would you like a glass of wine?” It’s about two in the afternoon and I’m working. “Would you like a beer?”

I’ve been behind on my blogging–all of my writing energy is going into the book (as of this week, finally).

So let’s play I never . . .

I have never enjoyed snow.

I have never read anything by Agatha Cristie.

I have never eaten veal.

I have never enjoyed shoe shopping.

I have never been Governor of Alaska and then left the post my constituents trusted me to because I didn’t want to be a lame duck, all the while wanting to be President, even though that’s a job where I would be a lame duck at the end.

And now, the flipside:

I have given a lightsaber as a birthday present to an adult.

I have been in every open to the public room of the British Museum.

I have smiled every time I see a Finnish flag sticket on a car.

I have enough unread books in my house to keep me reading for a while, but I keep buying more.

I have actually disliked relatively few students, but oh, those few.

The new column is up! Read all about radical movie adaptations of the classics (these aren’t your mother’s adaptations!)
http://www.matchflick.com/column/1978

1. Denise and I should be at least bi-sexual. Too bad we can’t choose that lifestyle.
2. I don’t like it when radio stations play songs that don’t match the day/time. So Manic Monday should only be played on Monday. And Friday I’m in Love should only be on Fridays. And In the Air Tonight shouldn’t be played in the morning. Yes, it’s anal of me–too bad.
3. There is not much good on television right now. Thank god for Netflix and the fact that I have to clean off two DVRs.
4. I was surprised at how surprised I was that this week’s Republican sex scandal was heterosexual. What does that say about the “Moral Majority”?
5. Things I am thankful for: friends, pie, hum 13 going forward, air conditioning, health insurance, beautiful northern california skies

http://www.matchflick.com/column/1967

1. Losing weight (yea!)
2. Weird Al’s new single. Video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R32aFmxL9HY
3. Spinal Tap has a new album–Back From the Dead!