* I am enjoying David Mas Masumoto's Letters to the Valley: A Harvest of Memories, in part because I really like the watercolor illustrations by Doug Hansen. The book isn't topically related to Kate Williamson's A Year In Japan in the slightest, but the watercolors and the diary-esque narration remind me of the other book nonetheless.

* A friend threw an impromptu dinner tonight, which gave me an excuse to stop by a new wine store in town. Lovely space, good selection. I picked up a nice shiraz-viognier blend (Yarra Valley).

They also had several bottles of Absolut New Orleans. I am tempted; have any of you tried it yet?

* The dinner consisted bruschetta, broccolini, and a vegetarian lasagna, and it was all splendid. There was also good conversation (ranging from Episcopalian culture to musicians' hearing loss to Nashville restaurants).

* Forward progress on several projects. (My 9/23 list is still taunting me, but I've been able to put the hamster-wheeling on "pause" long enough to indulge in social drinking a couple times (even if I did have to log in sessions of work after both gatherings).

* My local library's ILL department now allows DVD requests, which means I'll get to watch Copenhagen soon.

* Josh Henkin's Letter to an MFA.