I'm back from Vegas, and not even shouts of "Beagles need some kibble!" could get me a win at the craps table. By the way, in case anyone was wondering, I hate Vegas and plan to never, ever go back. This one was for the boy. He now owes me a trip to somewhere that doesn't make me hate "vacation."

On that note, the trip we were planning to Italy next May is off. I've decided that, while I'll still get my MPA, I'm still going to graduate from law school in May 2008 and take the bar. I'll take another semester to finish my Masters. I'm hoping that this will get me employed more quickly. I guess we'll see.

There have been about a dozen shootings in Cleveland in the last ten days. The most recent was a block away from my apartment, near where I walk the pooches between three and four times a day. Will I stop bitching about white flight and urban sprawl and head for the 'burbs? Nope. My money, my pups, and my life are where my mouth is. There is a meeting for Warehouse District residents next week while I'm in class, but I'm sending the boy. I'm hoping for the best.

And, should anyone in the area or in the internet-verse want to read a little bit about my employer, check out the cover story for this week's Cleveland Free Times. My employer, and one of my favorite professors, are featured.

My course for the second half of the summer session is so easy it is laughable. We're doing...get this...Algebra. Algebra! It's so fun to answer questions that actually HAVE an answer! Sure, it's eight hours a week of class that is so boring I want to gouge my eyes out, filled with people who barely know how to count to ten, but I could seriously care less. I mean...Algebra. How quaint!