Here's what it looked like out the back window an hour ago:

This is completely unacceptable on October 12. Personally, I think it's unacceptable before November.

And to add insult to injury, I can't lay my hands on a copy of The Language of New Media by Lev Manovich. I ran across a reference to it while I was reading something for that article I'm writing, and got really excited . . . My plan for the morning was, I was going to cruise around to whatever bookstore had the book, and take a look at it. (Okay, and probably buy it, if I liked it.) It seriously never occurred to me that nobody would carry it - not even the Barnes and Noble right across from Morrill Hall, where the English department lives.

** deep sigh **

I place a really high premium on being able to get books when I want them . . . I feel deprived by this turn of events.

I have decided to ease this life of hardship and suffering by actually driving the car to work today. And who knows? I might even buy myself a latte on the way . . .