My magnolia trees have finally started to blossom. Of course, the leaves are still dropping and I spend at least an hour every weekend raking them up, but the big, white, lotus-like blossoms have finally appeared. The last trees in the neighborhood to bloom, but I'll take what I can get.

Work has picked up. After a couple of slow months, exacerbated by April's flu, some new projects have developed and have been keeping me busy in a satisfactory sort of way. I've worked some long days, and took work home with me a few nights, but it's been much better than the alternative.

Last week, I sat at the Zen Center every night for about eight straight days, including one early-morning sit. There was a sesshin over the weekend, but the aforementioned take-home work kept me from attending much of it, although I was there Friday and Saturday nights as part of my eight-day streak. Not that there's any merit to frequent attendance, but I just wanted to see what it would be like to do it.

Started running again. The hills in the neighborhood make running a challenge, but it's nice to just step out the front door and start jogging.

I attempted to buy an iPod over the weekend, but found out that they aren't compatible with my Windows ME operating system. I got as far as the checkout line, already swiped my credit card, before I realized it wouldn't work for me. I never felt more middle-aged or whiter than when the guy at the counter said, "Dude, you have to have at least Windows 2000 to run the software." It's 2005 - am I really that out of date? Another reason to get a new computer, I guess.

Oh, and by the way, I'm in Chicago today.