I just spent the last three hours grading twenty papers and clarifying future assignments. I managed to bloody my cut finger in the process which has allowed me to erroneously feel virile about all these white collar machinations. Stupid boy. Students, I bleed for you… I sliced the middle finger of my right hand open on a broken ceramic pot while landscaping at BJ’s. It’s deep but not stitches deep.

John just called off poker at his house for this Thursday. Is there any interest in a Thursday night game here? Perhaps that stuff is better on a weekend. I was just thinking about running up to the ville on Saturday to try and get the bus again. Chris, would your previously discussed friend have any interest in an ill fated quest? I have a trucker friend up there who claims to be able to get anything running so if your friend isn’t game I’ve got a local backup.

Blah. I have a lot of things to accomplish this week and I am feeling the pressure from yesterday’s slugfest. I’ve talked to a number of people who are down because of the unending heat. Even if you do nothing, that nothing is exhausting in heat like this. I’ve lost another two pounds, but it could just be water weight. I’m actually only ten pounds off my goal weight for an optimal heart healthy lifestyle based on my age and height. I need to get my pressure checked to see how I am doing there.

We have a new canine in the neighborhood. Katie’s greyhound Rocky has arrived from his reeducation camp in Texas. He was a racing dog for four years, but has been spending the past few months getting socialized to people, other dogs, and staircases. Apparently track dogs can’t manage stairs. Who knew? He and Sebastian seemed to get along fine so that’s a very good thing.

Katie had the backyard fenced in to make her eligible for the adoption, but Sebastian got out chasing a rabbit the other night so we’ll see if this leggy greyhound, trained from birth to chase the fallen form of a rabbit, can handle his encounter with the real thing. I’ve got Clockwork Orange inspired visions of this Greyhound watching films of rabbits dancing in his Texas breeder’s compound, while unpleasant stimuli operant his conditioning. In related news yesterday was Jean Piaget’s birthday.