Much Obligated

It's weird, but when nothing happens and I see no reason to add to the blog, I still feel obligated to put something down to keep the minimasses of mine entertained.

I was trolling the Internet (there's too much crap on it to just surf anymore) and came across a really great Web site in Brighton and London, England, called artrepublic.com. They have some great stuff, so you should check it out. I've pulled down a few images to decorate this entry. I'm sure I'm breaking international law, but perhaps it won't be so bad if I actually buy something from them. (The first one is called "Fortunes Faded" by Static. Who knew we'd ever be nostalgic for the Nixon-Kennedy debates?)

Well, it's a week or less until the rings arrive. We get the license on Thursday, Aug. 7 and tie the knot on Friday, Aug. 8. (Did I run over all this before? I can't help it: I'm excited about being married. It's like someone telling you that, all of a sudden, you can have chocolate!)

The dinner on Saturday, Aug. 9 (the day before brother Steve and his lot leave to return to Wisconsin) has turned into a defacto wedding reception, with Sister Kittie, her husband David, my mom and Aunt Kit all joining us from Arroyo Grande. We're dining at Olvera Street at El Paseo Inn, which has been around nearly 100 years now.

Here's one by James Cauty called "Operation Magic Kingdom." Don't ask, don't tell. Which reminds me: there will be no honeymoon after the wedding ceremony, just as there will be no reception (even though it looks like there will be anyway). Steve's just started his job and, even though they offered to let him have a week off, I think the income from that period would be more welcome. Besides, we can always run down to Anaheim and visit with the Disney folks. My free passes aren't available until November, so we'd have to cough up the cash to make the visit, but it might be worth it and, pricey though it is, it's still cheaper than weekending just about anywhere.

Everybody's freaking out about the Indymac failure and the subsequent dive in the bank stock. People are so stupid. If nobody dumps their bank stocks, then they won't go down. The stock market is freaking out. Everyone's worried about a recession...

HELLO? we're in a recession, if the layoffs at work and the open tables at the restaurants on the weekends are any indication. So what do you do? What you did last time, which is hunker down, scale back and weather it out. And we're saving for a really nice formal wedding next spring. I'm feeling optimistic about the future, and here I see people freaking out outside their banks, coming really-really close to rioting. No one has any faith. To promote the concept, here's a piece of art by Kennard called "Peace."

Peace. Groovy, man, groovy.