Spring, spring; The bird are on the wing. Isn't that absurd? I always heard the wings were on the bird!

When I first went looking to buy a house, I placed a bid on a place just on the edges of the rather more well-to-do part of town. It was a very nice house, at a very good price. Just after I placed the bid, I suffered massive buyer's regret. After some reflection, though, I realized it wasn't just buyer's regret: it was a very specific realization of the deficiencies of the neighborhood.

Prior to placing that bid, I had only been looking at houses, without truly considering the neighborhood in which those houses were located. A few exceptions occured, like when I looked at a gorgeous house with a huge lot that butted up to active train tracks; but by and large I didn't consider the area nearly as much as I did the house.

The realization I had about the house I placed my initial bid on was that there were no sidewalks, anywhere. I grew up in a neighborhood that had sidewalks everywhere. I took it for granted through my entire childhood that I could walk -- and later bike -- darn near anywhere I needed to go, because sidewalks were there. I grew up in walking distance to a grocery store, a barbershop, a bookstore, and a variety of other independent establishments. The house on which I placed my bid was not close to any of these things. Any real access to anything would have required driving on a main street which gets horribly congested for weeks before and after major holidays. It wasn't until after I placed the bid that I realized any of this.

Thankfully, the bid didn't work out: the house needed some roof repair that I felt the seller should resolve. The seller felt differently, so my bid was rejected. Shortly after I found the house I later purchased. It's about a mile and a half south of the house in which I grew up. There are sidewalks everywhere. I'm in easy walking distance to a (different) grocery store, a (different) barbershop, and a variety of other local establishments. I feel comfortable letting my kids walk up and down our street, and home from school.

One of the local establishments is an Irish pub, literally just down the street (four houses away, in fact). It's my favorite local joint, not just for convenience, but for atmosphere. Tom, the bartender, knows my preferences, and always has a welcoming smile.

I've been having a bit of a rough week, this week. Carina had the kids with her, so I took myself to the pub for dinner and a few pints. As I walked in, Tom the bartender was pouring someone else's order. He looked up, and saw me in the mirror. He smiled warmly, and said, "Bass Ale?" I said please, and the pint was delivered as soon as I sat down. I know it's a very small thing, this sense of neighborhood, but it's these small things for which I'm grateful.

I just recorded the 100th fortune for CookieCast.org. Being able to record these in batches makes things a lot easier for me, in terms of scheduling. I'm covered through April 10, which gives me plenty of time to find more fortune cookies!

My thanks to DrBacchus for his continued contributions, which have been airing on the first of every month. If you'd like to contribute, or make suggestions, feel free to contact me.

Carina and I watched the last episode of Season Two of Babylon 5. She's slowly grown to enjoy the show, as the actors really grow into their characters, and the writing improves. Now that the bulk of the introductory episodes are out of the way, episodes are far less episodic, and don't stand particularly well on their own. Each show builds upon the events of the previous, as the complex story unfolds.

When Babylon 5 was originally broadcast, I didn't see much of Seasons One or Two. It's Seasons Three and Four that I saw the most -- and even in these there are more than handful of episodes I missed -- so I am filled with anticipation to watch the Great War unfold anew for me. I'm really happy that Carina shares my sense of excitement, and that she's no longer poo-pooing the show! ;)

Knowing what I know about the series, I find it mind-bogglingly hard not to spill the beans for Carina. As I watch an episode, I can't help but realize that things said and done in it were foreshadowed as early as episode one of season one; and that stuff that's happening now will come around again in later seasons. It's truly remarkable how well J. Michael Straczynski crafted such a complex story. I so desperately want to gush about this stuff with Carina, but she's adamant about not having anything spoiled for her!

I just received a comment spam on one of my Flickr photos. This photo received a comment with a link to an online shoe store. Sheeesh.