(no subject)

Here are some of the things I did since my last post:

• Drove another 1750 miles.
  
• Filled exactly one Trader Joe's paper bag with travel garbage.
  
• Listened, with wildly varying kinds of pleasure, to the first few chapters of Titus Groan, some French rock, twenty-six songs I'm trying to learn, a bunch of NPR, a whole lot of talk radio, a bewildering amount of repetitive coverage of Saddam Hussein's capture, and a sizable portion of the Radio Disney Top 30 Countdown.
  
• Encountered the phrases "hobby rancher" (in a radio ad in southern Oregon), "somber elation" (in a reporter's description of Bush's we-captured-Saddam speech), and "Koolaid-chugging contest" (in a conversation with an ex-coworker).
  
• Saw cafeterias at Amazon.com and Microsoft. Amazon has the coolest office building ever.
  
• Dined, lunched, and broke fast with various combinations of emmacrew, wrog, Matt, tombking, vivasuperstar, three of the above's sons, dkw, Lilly, six more dearly missed PlaceWare folks, talking_sock, greyaenigma, Ben, Dave, and Scott.
  
• Played open mikes in Eugene and Seattle, played melodica and mandolin with Scott at the latter, and recorded basic tracks for new versions of two old songs at Dave's house.
  
• Slept on the generously provided couches of talking_sock and greyaenigma, and played with both of their TiVos.
  
• Ate entirely too many delicious pastries at Larsen's Original Danish Bakery.
  
• Almost bought an accordion.
  
• For the first time ever, and a few days later for the second time ever, went to Powell's City of Books and left without buying anything.
  
• Clobbered my left ear with the door of greyaenigma's car.
  
• Took a lot of photos, some of which may make it here after I've slept.

All in all, a good week.