So I spent the weekend and the first half of this week on two major projects for my online class. Whoever said that school by Internet wasn't rigorous? Especially grad school. It's all done, as of 10 minutes ago, fortunately.

In other news, Chris & Mason's Excellent Moving Adventure takes place this weekend ... wonderful new place, a rented townhouse in the Arcadia district. Word has it my sweet honeyness ordered DSL for the new place, so no more freaking dialup! Have I ever mentioned how much I hate dialup? Anyway, assuming I can handle a camera without pissing all my minions ... er, helpers/friends and family ... off this weekend, there will be pictures of moving day, the new apartment, and the move-in party. Hurrah!

And in yet other news, I'm finally almost a legal driver. Paid my nasty fine with the City of Phoenix yesterday and got a new driver's license with the new address on it. The only thing left is registration on the truck, which became an issue this morning. Well, at least it was an issue to the nice highway patrolman who stopped me. Oh, the irony. Days before I finally have everything legal again, I get stopped. Fortunately, with a valid driver's license and insurance, coupled with the fact that I'm always courteous and respectful with cops (you have to remember who has the power), all I got was a light fine.

And just think. It could've been a day earlier, or some months ago, before I insured the truck anew. *shudder* I don't think I'd like jail. So, really, I was lucky!

I've also applied for a job with the Chandler Public Library as a library assistant. Fingers are crossed, since I'd finally be working in my intended field again for the first time since high school. But the desperation that has so characterized my experience with the job market in the last few years is totally absent. I really like the job I have now and would only leave for an ultimately better opportunity like this one. We'll see.

Address changes are all submitted, fines paid, new DirecTV install set up, phone number changed over, utilities changed over, most of the house packed, and a bright, sunshiny feeling about the new place. I've haven't been this prepared for a move ever, and certainly never this happy about a move in quite awhile.

Now I've got to find some time to whip the business back into shape ... ergh ...

Oh, shoot, I re-loaded the page template for this blog and in the process wiped out the commenting. I hope to have it back up soon. Just gotta figure out what I'm doing.

Heavy thunder, rain,
Thirsty ground and straining trees.
Summer storms: "Wow, man."

As I write this, my cousin Sean is in his third day of Coast Guard basic training. I'm not at all surpised to find myself pleased with this sudden development but am surprised to find myself quite proud of him.

Never one to be very enamored of militarism, I nonetheless spent five and a half years in the Coast Guard and must say I think it is largely a great organization, a force smaller than the New York police department charged with law enforcement, aids to navigation and search and rescue all over the US and its territories.

I told him that if he had the chance, he should go to my old boat, the USCG Barque Eagle, but the chances of that are minimal and I'm sure that others will try to dissuade him in Cape May if it does turn up as an option.

So that's it. It's just cool to have another Coastie in the family ... let's see if he makes it through basic.

From the 'Finding Joy in Small Things' File ...

Thank heavens for vacuum-insulated travel mugs filled with black Russian tea.

Here I am at 11 o'clock and the tea I made three and a half hours ago is still warm and tasty. Yes, I drink hot morning beverages even in the heat of the summer. Some joys deserve to be more than seasonal.

• Life as a House - Moderately predictable, very heart-rending, oddly affecting. Kevin Kline is his usual incredible self and Hayden Christenson wasn't too bad, either.
  
• Chumbawamba Readymades - British folk samples, trippy beats, social consciousness. Does anyone care that they've just made their best album? Universal pretty obviously doesn't, since they haven't done diddly shit to promote the thing. A pox on all major labels. They take their pound of flesh and leave you to rot in the courtyard.
  
• Changing Rooms and Ground Force - Two great shows on BBC America, the first the British precursor to Trading Spaces and the latter a garden makeover show. Sounds weird, but they're both strangely addictive.
  
• Recording of my own - See an earlier entry for a link to an MP3 to a rough/almost finished VERY '80s take on a traditional Scottish tune. Lots of others in the fire, trying to get my music career going again finally. Will the world be ready?
  
• Deacon Blue Homesick - One of my favorite bands ever. This is their reunion album. Taking a few years off did them some good.
  
• Mason After a few weeks hardly seeing each other, we spent a good weekend getting reacquainted with each other, and remembering again how much we love each other. He truly rocks my world, and brings me strange things from faraway places and calls me to tell me how much he misses me. So I admit it, I'm a romantic sap. Now if we can only get a good weekend out of town, alone!
  
• My sister - Coolest woman on the planet facing life changes and generally becoming the person she's always wanted to be (I hope!)
  

More news later. I am becoming :^)

http://www.slywiz.com/hadrianswall/macpherson.mp3

So just to let everyone know, my band's Web site is back up, finally, after some time. OK, so the band is only me right now, but that'll change. Sometime. The content now is roughly the same as it was when it went down some time ago due to, um, conflicts with management. But watch for news and more music soon.

http://www.in-the-wall.com