Autumnal splendor, cats and porcupines.

I love this time of year. It's like the heat of the summer finally climbed out of the tub and jumped into a nearby icy stream. As vegetation dies back and the harvests come in, I always feel invigorated and alive. Everything feels crisper, cleaner, thrown into sharp relief. The sky is that deep cobalt blue, the yellow leaves swirl around my feet. I love the way that autumn smells. People are starting up their fireplaces, mowing their lawns one last time. When I had my convertible, this is the time of year when the top was rarely up - I just wanted to drink everything in all the time.

I recently read some melancholy musings on the season; and while I agree that the acoustics of the season are well-suited to the echoes of the past.... for me, autumn is a time of coming together. This has always been the time of year when people began to need to crowd around the fire for warmth, and it is still -- a time of gathering, of storytelling, of imagining. This is the time of year when I got married.

I love this time of year.



I have no good segue from that, so I'll just plow on.

I'm going to start a new segment that I've been thinking about for a while: a "good and bad" bit. Something like TV Guide's "Cheers and Jeers", or Stephen Colbert's "Tip of the Hat/Wag of the Finger". I've been dragging my feet, though, trying to come up with a good name. At long last, though, I have:

Cat in the Lap/Porcupine in the Pants.

Because who *wouldn't* like a cat happily purring in their lap? And who would want a porcupine in the pants? Ow!!!

As in, "A cat in the lap goes to Sonya, who is feeling lousy and crappy and is dealing with a cruddy cold and mountains of work. A porcupine in the pants goes to the jerk in front of me on the highway, who tossed some trash out of his window. " Anyway, I have a bunch of CitL and PitP that I've been thinking about posting, so watch this space for more developments.

[No porcupines or cats were harmed in the making of this post]

I was thinking of going with "weasel in the pants", but "porcupine in the pants" had a better ring to it. What do you think? Tell me in the comments...

A really good visit

Sonya and I are sitting in the Charlotte airport now, waiting for a flight home to Buffalo. It's been a really lovely visit down to Charlotte. Her grandmother was appropriately shocked and thrilled to see us show up at her 85th birthday party. We both had ample time to catch up with old friends, and generally had a really nice time.

More details coming on the specifics. But I will say this: The Hampton Inn and Suites in Mooresville, NC is fantastic, and should you ever need to stay in the Mooresville area, you should stay there. Really.