And life, in recent days, has included "Come Thou Fount of Every Wisdom" and other familiar hymns in Taiwanese; pig's feet steamed in the rice cooker; and reading descriptions of Victorian-era dairies and icehouses in between glances at blender recipes.

I went walking around downtown Richmond on Saturday. I finally visited the public library (which wasn't established until after I left for college), and I tried to find the used bookstore that was one of my favorite places during high school (I used to sneak in a stop now and then during cross-country practice). I'm guessing it no longer exists, and I'm a bit sad about that, because I don't think I ever knew the name of the owner -- toward whom I'm feeling a fresh wave of gratefulness just now, because (without my asking) she made a point of saving for me any Dorothy L. Sayers books she acquired. I still have the copies of Strong Poison and Murder Must Advertise I purchased from her; the copy of Gaudy Night was read to pieces long ago. (The only Sayers in my high school library was The Nine Tailors, and books from the university library had to be signed-for by my parents.) Her store was also where I'd picked up The Selected Poetry of Donne (Signet edition) for thirty cents, Julia Remine Piggin's Mini-Mysteries for 17.5 cents (already dated by then, but I loved that book regardless), and a half-dozen Shakespeare plays (old, square, already-yellowed Folger Library paperbacks).

I also stopped in a sportsgear shop, and the proprietor turned out to be a former classmate. That could have been pleasant if I hadn't automatically regressed to "complete inability to make small talk" upon his recognizing me, which was utterly stupid considering how helpful and friendly he was trying to be! *headdesk*

Ah well. I did get in a bit of work and writing, and also a fair amount of walking. Other good things:

The drives gave me time to revisit the BBC radio production of Clouds of Witness. I was mildly amused to learn that the actor who played Bunter (the late Peter Jones) (1) co-wrote the script and (2) voiced "The Book" in the radio edition of A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I foresee a crochet-and-radio binge in my future...

Also on the car stereo, courtesy of my local library: Josh Groban's Awake (liked especially "In Her Eyes" and his Italian rendition of "A Time for Us") and Mary Chapin Carpenter's The Calling. The two songs on the latter that immediately grabbed me were "On With the Song" (written for the Dixie Chicks)...

...this is for the ones who stand their ground
When the lines in the sand get deeper
When the whole word seems to be upside down
And the shots being taken get cheaper...

...and the title song:

I don't remember a voice
On a dark, lonesome road
When I started this journey so long ago
I was only just trying to outrun the noise
There was never a question of having a choice

Also borrowed Loreena McKennitt's An Ancient Muse. Two standout songs there as well for me: "Penelope's Song" and "Never-Ending Road."

I did manage to reset the small-talk button in time to chat with the friend who'd minded Abby (in spite of her noshing on his toothbrush -- that dog's flouride fetish is not to be believed) and the folks at the Durga Puja party. (One of my best friends from college is Bengali, and in addition to being way smarter than I am when it comes to all things theoretical, she's also renowned for her cooking. Which meant that there was a sizable crowd in her living room last night...) She and her cohorts made dal (bean mush), spinach, biryani (a variation of fried rice), chochuri (potatoes and green beans), burfi (pistachio-topped bars), riata (cucumber and yogurt sauce), nimki (crackers topped with seeds), and saundesh (ricotta bars). One of her housemates is a wine maven, as were several of the guests, so there was much discussion of the chianti, syrah, and sangiovese (Biltmore Estate) he opened, as well as other wines and beers.

One of the guests supplied a convincing analysis on why it's more cost-efficient to drink Belgian ale (higher alcohol content per ounce) instead of PBR. I don't remember the actual figures, but I did turn to his partner and say, "So this is why you keep him, eh?" "You bet."

Interlibrary loan has come through with a copy of Copenhagen (Stephen Rea! Daniel Craig! Francesca Annis! quantum physics! glee!). I can't wait to get through today's meetings and chores...