Howdy ho pardner, welcome to the Pirate Party!

This is me in my swashbuckling garb. As promised, we had a rowdy Pirate Party last weekend, hosted over 100 and polished off over 500 jello shots, pirate punches, and rum and cokes. All in all, it was a good time.

My life right now is filled with NPR again. Thank god for me finding my radio code once returning to Ann Arbor. I can't believe I survived the summer without public radio. It was a serious lapse in judgement.

NPR brings the ups and downs: Pulitzer prize winners and dopey politicians, inspiring acts of bravery and justice and tales of horrifying genocide in Darfur. At least they keep it real. I'm going to take a proverbial minute here to put in a plug for my very favorite podcast which is produced by NPR: All Songs Considered. Bob Boilen, the host, has got it right when it comes to the tunes squeezed out by my $30 speakers (a budget purchase at Target) and I love him for it.

'Tis fall here in the midwest, and we're assaulted by cool sunny days with bright red and yellow leaves falling, then blustery rain. Somehow the ever-changing weather keeps you feeling like you're moving forward day by day. I like to think we're skipping along, but recent thoughts have made me realize, it takes all that you can just to hold on.