Kelly and I are leaving for Tucson this evening for a couple of nights. Her grandparents are having an extravagant birthday party...or wedding anniversary. One of those events that gets you in trouble when you forget.

It's grandparents gone wild!

I shall return Saturday morning. My mother's birthday is on Sunday. I'm glad I haven't forgotten that. I don't want to test my hypothesis that I am too old to hit with a wooden spoon.

Don't underestimate the recent advances in wooden spoon technology.

I had a wonderful conversation with Verina as I walked home. Sadly, it was over the phone. Well, sadly on my end because I was dusty and sweating but she is in the delightful city of San Diego and I can be happy for her.

'Sides, I like dust and sweat.

I often take for granted the cultivation a proper friendship requires. Far too often I am content with informal communication, i.e., blogs and livejournals. Speaking with Verina after too many years of not hearing her voice was awesome.

Writing in a journal, I think, is like growing something in a greenhouse. The elements are controlled; a lot of the variables are contained.

But having a conversation or pursuing some other activity together is so...wild. Maintaining a line of communication amidst a tangle of other goings-on. It's like the Indiana Jones...of language.

Speaking of archaeology, everyone should read Dinosaur Comics.

Make sure to go back through a few of the archives. You'll be pleasantly counfounded.