As you can see, I still cannot sleep.

So I will note that Dave Barry is pure genius, for writing this and other things (in his recap of the year 2006, from the Washington Post, which I also love--I don't know how I lived all these years without the Washington Post until beginning to read it online a few years ago):

In other political developments, the New York Times prints a leaked top-secret government report expressing doubts about the war in Iraq. The Bush administration holds a secret meeting to prepare a response, but within hours the Times prints leaked details of the meeting, including who went to the bathroom and why. The administration then attempts to take out the Times building with a missile, but the Times, using leaked launch codes, redirects the missile to The Washington Post. As the debate over Iraq heats up, President Bush pledges to "keep on continuing to stay the present course while at the same time not doing anything different." Democratic leaders declare that they have a "bold new plan" for Iraq, which they will reveal just as soon as the New York Times leaks it to them.

Does everyone giggle aloud at Dave's (in my opinion, still quite funny) humor, or is it just me?

This weekend, I experienced a moment I thought only happened in movies. On a mission to have items other than (or at least in addition to) condiments and alcohol in my refrigerator, I stopped at a popular fancy grocery store in town. The store captures my interest because it keeps me guessing at what the various vegetables are, as I am nothing if not a vegetable novice. For instance, I learned on this visit what a brussel sprout tower is. But I digress. After making an educated guess as to which of the dozens of varieties of apples would work best as a peanut butter conduit, I began loading a thin plastic bag with apples. All of a sudden, apples were tumbling everywhere--on me, on the floor. I was too embarrassed to look around, so I did my best to retrieve apples and keep more apples from falling to the floor, all at the same time, but without making eye contact with anyone else. And just as I bent down to pick up another apple, The Handsomest Man Ever came over and helped me finish the task. It made me think of the Anne of Green Gables book in which Anne's daughter thinks it is shameful to be carrying a cake through town and hurls her mother's beautiful bake sale cake into the brook when she sees her crush approaching. Only I didn't see The Handsomest Man Ever until he was already helping me pick up the apples, so I wasn't forced to hurl them anywhere. While cleaning up the apples, we shared a few nice moments, both exclaiming at the same time that we had never seen an apple episode like that other than in the movies. Ah, the stuff from which romance novels spring forth. Anyway, I saw him again in the checkout line and thought perhaps that meant it was fated for us to chat again, but apparently not. But a girl can dream . . .

I have discovered that the best airport to fly to for the purpose of visiting Vermont, New Hampshire and Rhode Island is the Boston airport. Just an FYI.

My dogs sleep like humans, in that they get sleepy around 9 or 10 at night and will pretty much sleep through the night after that.

I really must get curtains for the front wall of my bedroom. I think part of my difficulty sleeping is that nearly the entire wall is taken up with two tall windows and two French doors, and they have no coverings (the porch deck outside them prevents folks from looking in at night, or so I tell myself). Anyway, these windows sometimes let in a ridiculous amount of light, even at night (where does it come from), which I think may be affecting the quality of my sleep.

I'd like you to meet one of the newest on the blogging scene, a high school freshman from Iowa named Mary. I was introduced to her via the blog of Kate, who does a nice job of summarizing Mary's world view and writing style. If you don't laugh out loud at some point while reading Mary's blog and/or the comments left on her blog, then you don't know the meaning of LOL, people!

For the first time in months, I don't have drywall hanging down from my living room ceiling. I almost felt as if I missed it when I arrived home tonight.

I must get up early to clear out my closet and laundry room (really another closet, it's so tiny) so they can be painted tomorrow. Sleepy now . . .

Here's a pic for you to reward you for your patience with my meandering thoughts: