A week and a half ago, at the big rest-stop mini-mart on the Hutch Parkway, I overheard a beefy guy say to the clerk, "Can I get a pack of Parliament Lights, and this guy [holds up a half-eaten donut]."

For some reason I found that hilarious enough to write down on a scrap of paper.

I had a very nice Fourth, did you? I didn't see any real fireworks, but there was a lot of barbecuing and some Jarts-playing and some guitar out on the deck and such. It was lovely. Today I am enjoying the discombobulated feeling of being back at work after a mid-week holiday. I was glad to have such a good day off from everything, since I was just told that one of my favorite work-friends is leaving the office for greener pastures (good for her, but bad for me, selfishly), and god knows who will replace her, plus my cat's health has been declining alarmingly and it turns out I don't want to let her go, ever. I'm doing the best I can for her, I think. I hope so, at any rate.