There's an article in the travel section of today's Sunday New York Times about Corsica, where L. and I went on vacation about this time last year. Strange, last week, they ran an article about Budapest, where we vacationed this year. The Budapest article opened with a passage about the Gellert Hotel, which is where we stayed, and the Corsica article showcased Calvi, the town in which we spent our Corsican holiday.

Are we trend setters, and the Times reporting in our wake, or is it just my mind, clinging to any references to its own experience that it can find?

This morning at the Zen Center was interesting enough: we had an exceptionally large group of newcomers, including about a dozen seventh-graders, so we had to move the regulars into the small newcomers room and hold the beginners' instruction in the main zendo. It was a great opportunity to teach meditation to a large group, and it was refreshing to hear the open, honest, unpretentious questions of the young.

That afternoon, I really got into the yard work - beyond just the usual leaf blowing, I also raked up at least four full bags of leaves from around the yard.

After laundry and a little food shopping, I finally settled down to watch Game 4 of the Red Sox-Yankees. The Sox are down 0-3. Tonight is New York's chance to complete the sweep. The Red Sox took an early one-run lead (their first of the entire series), but New York came right back and took the lead away.

Eighth inning: New York is ahead. Mariano Rivera is coming to the mound. The Red Sox are going to lose this game, and be swept. I cannot watch anymore.

I'm going to bed.