Quick updates
I ought to be reading submissions, editing, rejecting submissions, responding to queries, or otherwise dealing with all the stuff I'm way behind on, but I'm too exhausted. I've only had five or six hours' sleep a night for the past three nights, which is way better than the no-hours-of-sleep a couple weeks ago but still not enough, given that I'm still sick and that I've just about depleted my reserves of social energy. Running on empty.
So I'll toss in a bit of natter and then it's off to bed for me. Perhaps if I go to bed and read some more of America: The Book, it'll take my mind off everything I ought to be doing so I can sleep.
Let's see. Saturday was, I think, when the Smart Mousetrap arrived in the mail. It's kinda goofy, especially the text on the bottom about releasing the mouse someplace where mice are needed, but I think it's more likely to catch my remaining mouse(s) than the Victor M007s I've been leaving out. There's been no sign of said mouse lately, but last night I heard rustling in the kitchen that sounded a lot like a rodent. So I'm hoping this trap will work.
Also Saturday, Jim and I went up to Sausalito (Jim driving; I wouldn't have been safe) to see the Bay Model, which I had never heard of. We took a leisurely route up the Great Highway, along the San Francisco coast; arrived at the Bay Model, after only a couple of small navigational failures (my fault), around 3:45, with the comfortable knowledge that, according to their web page, they're open 'til 5 on Saturdays. We said hello to the woman behind the desk, and dawdled through the not-very-good educational materials in the anteroom areas. My camera battery died, and I spent a little time discovering (to my chagrin) that I hadn't brought along my spare battery—that night after a 20-minute search through the junk on my desk and floor I discovered the battery amid my dirty laundry. (On the plus side, it got me to clean off my desk somewhat.) Then we spent ten minutes watching the pretty good educational video. Then we stepped through the doors into the gigantic amazing 1.5-acre Bay Model room. While we were standing there gaping, a staff member came through the doors behind us and locked them. Then she walked off (without talking to us) and a minute later the pumps shut down. We had still barely moved from the entrance to the room when a voice came over the PA system telling us that the model had closed at 4 and that it was time for us to leave (it was about 4:15 by this point). (Turns out the other website lists Saturday hours as ending at 4.) Very frustrating; two long hours of driving for one short glance at the model bay.
I was really intrigued by the story of the Reber Plan; the idea was to build two dams across the bay, creating two freshwater lakes and separating the saltwater from the fresh. That would make a great piece of an alternate history. If I understood right, the Bay Model was originally built specifically to test the Reber Plan.
Anyway, on the way back we stopped at the Marin headlands (specifically Battery Spencer) and looked at the lovely views of the Golden Gate Bridge and SF and the bay. Better than a stinky old model any day. Jim took lots of pix. Then he went to walk on the bridge, and I sat in the car and worked on editing a story, 'cause I wasn't up to a long walk in the cold wind.
Later, we went to Pasand (the one in Santa Clara) for dinner. Yum.
Sunday was the roundsing, and Sunday evening Jim and Lola and I played an extended and fun game of Boggle.
This morning I dropped Jim off at the airport; this evening I picked up Kam in Fremont. She had been down in LA for the weekend, and for the return trip she decided to drive a moving van for someone in the Burning Man crowd who broke his neck a year ago and is now (miraculously) capable of walking on his own (with crutches) but couldn't have driven the van up from LA.
This morning I finally broke down and ordered a Treo 650. With all the rebates and discounts at Amazon, it ended up being about $300 instead of the full price of about $600, and it's returnable (and Sprint says I can switch back to my old phone if I want to). So I figured I would give it a try. It would be really nice to have web access everywhere I go.
I've reverted to muzzyheadedness today, and have been coughing all day. I didn't get much done. Alas, the main thing I didn't do today, besides productive work, was drop birthday notes to my brother (happy birthday, Jay!) and Deb H. (happy birthday, Deb, if you read this!).
But tomorrow is another day, and perhaps I'll be more on top of things then. I can only hope.
In the mean time, if you're looking for something more interesting to read, you could do worse than the FBI affidavit from the Robert P. Hanssen case, requesting warrants regarding Hanssen's espionage activities. Well worth skimming; lots of fascinating details about the life of a spy. For more on Hanssen (I missed the whole case when it happened back in 2001), see the CNN in-depth special and/or the crimelibrary.com account of his last day before his arrest.
Okay, enough from me. Good night!
