S. Worthen | Weblog

Yesterday's 5 pages took longer than Tuesday's 10. So today's goal is all of 15 pages, but I don't know how work intensive any of them are. At some point today I'll go to the hardware store and buy the clippers and planters I've been thinking about for a few weeks. Now that I have the pepper seedlings, the planters, at least, have become more urgent.

I'm somewhat bemused by my landlady. Every few weeks she'll include us in a mass forward. In this case, it's a letter from the Tourism board of Colorado, assuring the world that no, all of Colorado isn't on fire and yes, there's still plenty to come see and do. Quite rightly, a state of emergency has been declared in Colorado, as the BBC reports. Yes, it's a disaster. About 40 miles worth of fire. Colorado is a great deal larger than that.

Today's proving erratic. Lunch only succeeded in making me more hungry. I'm still having trouble concentrating. I am now, however, the proud owner of a set of pruning shears, a planter large enough for at least 4 of the 6 pepper plants, and some barbecue equiptment. It's not all a loss.

According to Herodotus, in his Histories:

"In households where a cat dies a natural death, all the people living there shave off their eyebrows -- nothing more. In households where a dog dies, they shave their whole bodies, head and all."
Oxford World's Classics (1998), trans. R. Waterfield. p. 121

I had no idea. Ancient Egypt has such a stereotype of cat-worship, but I realize I've never known a thing about the status of dogs there and then.

Second day running with very poor accomplishments for me. I edited very few pages indeed and was very fidgety. Surely tomorrow can only be better.

At least Nessie isn't (hypotheticaly) alone if there's one supposedly seen in Norway too. Although how they'd communicate's beyond me. Interesting thought though. Mobile phone? Carrier pigeon?