Another Friday, you know the drill.

I got a nice letter from my Mom today.  She enclosed an article from the Ottawa Citizen (the local paper) featuring Jeff, Isabelle and Scooter's triumph in Winnipeg.  It was a nice long article, front page of the section, above the fold, nice big color picture (of Jeff and Izzy) with some memorable quotes from Jeff about playing a bridge hand being akin to brain surgery.  (Chris says Jeff was misquoted, but it sounded just like something Jeff would say.) Reminded me of when they devoted the entire editorial page a few years back to irate responses to my letter denouncing a K-9 police officer for pulling me over on a busy thoroughfare, blocking traffic for 15 minutes during rush hour, for going through a red light on my bicycle.  The article actually told me something I didn't know.  I had no idea that Jeff learned to play when he was 11.  For some reason I thought he had just picked the game up shortly before we met (in 1995 or 1996.)  I also didn't know that Sylvia (and presumably Marty) Caley lives in Ottawa now (or maybe that was polite fiction to get her name in the article, I dunno.)

Watched Breach this week.  It held my interest. 

Yesterday was my birth mother's birthday.  Happy Birthday E.

The weather was fantastic all week.  Nothing beats 3 cold beers in the late afternoon sun by the pool (unless it's 4 cold beers in the late afternoon sun by the pool.)

Stacy's going to Vegas next week.  I'm jealous.  Nevada was my favorite place to live.  I can't wait for the Nationals there next year.  Good luck Stacy.

Watched Randy Couture beat Tim Sylvia at UFC 68 (the fight happened in March, but this was the first time it was on free TV instead of PPV.)  I love Ultimate Fighting, but when a 43 year old wrestler wins every round of a 5 round fight against a 30 year old striker who's 6 inches taller and 40 pounds heavier by going toe-to-toe, something's up.  I hope the sport isn't rigged. 

I'm annoyed at how the mass media have conspired to spoil the Sopranos ending for those of us who wait to rent them on DVD.  Even Hillary had an announcement about it.  Sigh.

Ron Paul keeps winning every debate and keeps getting no media coverage.  Big surprise there.  Actually, he was on Colbert this week.  I used to love the Daily Show, but that was back when America had 9/11 fever and the only way to criticize the administration was to use humor.  Now I prefer watching Olbermann, who tells it straight, without the comedy (though only in the first 20 minutes or so, the rest of the show is mindless tripe and I usually turn it off at that point.)

John Edwards was in Austin this week.  I wish I had known and I definitely would have made a point of going (he's my guy on the Democratic side at this point.)

Glad to see that Congress is repealing Bush's executive order making his presidential records private forever.  What a sleazeball.  Worst president ever and he doesn't want history to find out.  I heard he's going to have his Presidential Library at Yucca Mountain (that's where we send all our radioactive waste.)

Enough wonkery.  Enjoy your weekend.