other

Back from vacation, I gave my Audi a big hug and confessed I'd spent the week driving a Taurus. It, of course, didn't mean anything. New tires later, I think we're okay now.

Unlike John Denver, I know exactly when I'll be back, and I'm looking forward to leaving. He clearly wasn't talking about Hawaii. A tally of in-flight drinks, while the little people suffered with their snack packs.

A weekend in Destin: Starbucks, a bar, then swimming out into the Gulf at 2am, which in retrospect was probably not brilliant. A four-mile jog mistaken for one or two, friends discussing my possible fates without lifting a finger, and badly burned shoulders. Lots of fun.

A bumper sticker said the owner loves animals so much she doesn't eat them. I love them so much that I do. Also: does Windows have an API for shared-versus-exclusive mutexes? Uneducated opinions especially welcome.

Lullabies by Marvin the Paranoid Android, a bowl of milkless shredded wheat, and two construction guys outside throwing a machete at each other's feet. It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt, especially with an eighteen-inch knife.

My oldest sister just had her first kid, Madelyn. She doesn't have a Wikipedia page yet, but the Olsen Twins, who share her birthday, do. So Madelyn has nothing to worry about.

No more Monopoly stories. But I did play Yahtzee, rolled horribly, and nearly tied for second through good decisions alone. I was teased for thinking only my decisions are right, which is true, but only because everyone else makes stupid ones.

From one railroad and Atlantic Ave. to owning everything. A three-and-a-half-hour Monopoly masterclass in rental agreements, immunity to rent, and a sugar-daddy opponent who bankrupted himself being nice. I think I'm done with Monopoly.

Travel arrangements for the Mauna Loa hike are finally done, and I even talked a cousin into climbing an active volcano with me. Also, sage advice spotted in a product manual about potentially explosive atmospheres.