To those of you who may have noticed that I haven't updated this blog for several days, please be advised that I haven't abandoned it. My house has been without cable or internet access since Monday morning (I'm blogging this from work); electric power was only restored late Tuesday afternoon. Big storms blew through the neighborhood Monday morning, many trees and power lines were downed, etc. I will post more about this (and the day that I had to flush a live bird down the toilet) later this week when the conditions allow.