Happy Birthday Meara and Jen!!!

In less pleasant news, I think I have food poisoning. From my own cooking! It's horrifying!!! The funny thing was, I roasted a chicken, and I'm totally paranoid about poultry, so I was being extra cautious. Even though the thermometer was saying it was done, it was just at the acceptable temperature, so I bunged that chicken back in the oven for another 10 minutes, just to be safe.

I suppose it's possible it was something else.

Good news about your brothers Nilly. It must be a relief to have them near again.

Whack that toy little dillo! So cute.

Ernesto update. We don't expect much in the way of wind, 60mph in the morning. Alas, we are supposed to get 12" or more of rain locally. I stopped by the office and picked up a couple computers from the floor just in case. Since the streets were pretty much empty I stopped and filled up the tank with gas too. The station was closing in 20 minutes. Looks like we are getting ready now. Need to get outside in the 90F heat and pick up stuff. It is windy already. Silly storm.

I left my camera up north so I will either take video of the storm or phone pictures. I always wanted to do one of those reporter videos with me being blown around. Hmmm.

I hope it's not too bad, Laura.

Library porn!!! [link]

Totally work-safe.

Now, coming upon this post as you are, unawares, I feel I ought to clarify the title (which was alternately going to be sex libris) straight away by telling you what this post is not, in fact, about. By “library smut” I am in no way referring to the photo books on native peoples, or the illustrated health manuals, or any of the other volumes which, in your childhood, you lurked about the library aisle to find with the sole purpose of sneaking guilty glances at naked bodies. Nor am I referring to the “risqué” novels by Miller, Cleland, Réage, or Lawrence you leafed impatiently through as a teenager. No. What I’m talking about here is the full-frontal objectification of the library itself. Oh yeah.

Yesterday I came across a truly gorgeous book of photographs by Candida Höfer titled, Libraries, a title which pretty much says it all, because that is just exactly what it is, one rich, sumptuous, photo of a library interior after another. It’s like porn for book nerds. Seriously. They are gorgeous photos, nearly all without visitors and just begging to be entered. (ha. sorry.)

The site's kinda' slow right now, but worth the wait.

Good luck, Laura. I'm sorry you guys are getting it, even though I'm incredibly relieved it's not heading towards New Orleans.

Today's the anniversary of Katrina, in case anyone's managed to miss it. I'm already so sick of the stupid talking heads on the TV blathering heartlessly on about things they haven't thought about and don't care about. As far as I'm concerned, this has been the crappiest twelve-month stretch of my life, and today, the reset button is being pushed.

I'm sorry you guys are getting it, even though I'm incredibly relieved it's not heading towards New Orleans.

I agree completely. We are still not repaired from last year, but no where near as unprepared as the gulf coast. It was a big sigh of relief when it pointed our way, even for Floridians.

Laura, you are such a wonderful person.

Dana, I'm sorry. You and your family have been in my thoughts especially over the last couple days.

I just want to cry when reading the media coverage, especially when they profile volunteers and Katrina victims and they all say that there is still so much that needs doing and it's like they have been forgotten. I read the other day that the governor of Mississippi was withholding relief aid because he wanted to wait till the anniversary date to announce where it would be going.

I thought moving away would let me worry less during hurricane season, but I've been all obsessive about watching Ernesto's track and transferring my New Orleans worry to Florida - though Laura just helped a whole lot with that.

Library porn!!!

I actually found myself big-eyed and muttering "Holy mama!"