Sadness

When we bought this house, one of the things we looked for was a good video store within walking distance, the better to send Sarcasm Girl and her sister off to get a movie on a Friday night. Dr. Video, our funky local video joint, was populated by all the locals, staffed by the owners and a seemingly endless parade of young, hip, multiply pierced cinephiles who were delighted to engage with the kids about favorite movies, who took seriously YG's assertion that Frank Capra can get very mean to his characters, and occasionally looked blank when SG and I sought out favorite movie musicals. And they're going out of business. Netflix is part of it, Blockbuster and their ilk is part of it, the economy is part of it. They're selling off their inventory, and I've got a little list. I'm going in, first, to express my sympathy and sadness over the demise of the store. Then I'll have to find a way to tactfully scavenge.

On The Road Agin...

Barring national calamity, I'm going to NY mid-October, and then to Massachusetts to see my father and check up on the house there. I have a vaguely ilicit feeling about this trip: yes, I really need to see my father and the house. Yes, it would be good to check in with my editor (and maybe even my agent). These are all worthwhile things and necessary, and yet...

Whee! I'm going home! I'm going to walk on my streets again and see friends and smell NY smells and revel in the compression of humanity that is New York. And I'm not taking the children, or even the spouse, which means I can do whatever I like! Yee haw!

Ahem. I'm all better now. I will regain my usual composure and behave.