Life’s been busy busy busy as of late. And when that happens, this is the first thing that falls to the wayside, it seems. Which is better than a lot more important things getting neglected, I suppose. My hunt for the elusive 36-hour day continues to be fruitless, alas.

After listening to everyone’s advise, I ended up creating a private “to-do list” webpage on my site that I can update every day. It works in concert with my full calendar, in that I regularly copy things off the calendar and onto the list, but I see it much more than the calendar and is more short-term themed than long-term. So far it’s been working out pretty well, so I can’t complain too much.

I am delighted that the temperature has finally dropped here in the DC area, just in time for our 16-miler this weekend. Hopefully it will go well; the really high temperatures at the 12- and 14-milers made them both a little uncomfortable. But what’s up with the lack of earth-shattering kabooms in the way of storms? Every time this summer we’ve had a cold front with big storm promise, we’ve gotten the cold front but a distinct lack of storm. It’s half the fun of the temperature drop, after all. (The other and more obvious half being, surprise surprise, the actual dropping of the temperature from “armpit of Alabama” levels into just “blistering shoulder.”) The best we get are threatening looking clouds that don’t deliver.

It’s Harry Potter Mania Night, and I almost hate to admit that I don’t have a copy pre-ordered. In fact, I’m not buying a copy. Not because I’m anti-Harry Potter (they remind me in a very good way of reading Roald Dahl’s books at the age of seven) but because last year I gave away my copies of the hardcovers because I decided that they were taking up too much space, and it’s not like the library has a lack of copies if I want to re-read them down the line. So, I have a copy reserved at the library and will no doubt have a copy in a couple weeks. Perhaps sooner if Karon finishes hers quickly and is then kind enough to lend it to me.

I am really looking forward to a long weekend in Lost River, West Virginia that I have planned for mid-August. I want an agenda primarily filled with swimming, hiking, reading books, eating, Scrabble, and sleeping. Not necessarily in that order. I think it’s going to be really fantastic. Especially since it will be right after two and a half weeks of doing both my job and someone else’s (who always has more on his plate and the stuff is generally more complex). So a perfectly timed vacation.

Speaking of Scrabble, being able to play it on Facebook is wonderfully evil, yet at the same time relaxing. I like being able to take a 2-minute break and stretch my brain in a different way to think of a new crazy word to play on the board. (Best word so far: ANTIQUE for 101 points. Although I am somehow more proud of my 61-point OLEANDER.)

Things are going very well with Charlie, thanks.

The new Suzanne Vega CD is pretty by-the-numbers Vega (same thing with her last album; I hadn’t realized how much her ex-husband Froom had brought to the production of 99.9F and Nine Objects of Desire until it was gone), but still enjoyable. On the other hand, I fully blame Matt Evenden for accidentally hooking me on last year’s Take That reunion album. I’m so ashamed. Oh, and Clive Davis can kiss my butt, he was utterly wrong and My December is fantastic. Kudos to Kelly Clarkson for sticking to her guns.

Ok, time to go running and then off to National Airport to pick up Charlie from his latest business trip.

Life? Busy, but good.