The parking spots outside ritual

Awesome.

end of an era

The movers are packing up my room right now.  Goodbye, 752 Shotwell.  You have seen many roommates and I have many fond memories of times spent here.  From moving in right before going to India in December 2003, to coming back in January 2004 with some horrid stomache virus and spending the next week curled up in pain on your pristine, unfurnished floors.  The apartment never was that clean again.  Living with Radha (hi Radha!) for a fun year, Todd moving in to the room we accidentally had painted a lovely girly shade of lilac, Todd moving out, Greg moving in (and immediately painting the room white), Radha moving out, Adrienne moving in, Greg moving out, Josh, the unlikely but awesome punk DIY vegan, moving in, a stable year or two with me/Adj/Josh, and the beginning of the Plant Era.  Josh moving out and Sarah moving in, and the Plant Era became the Plants Are Taking Over Era.  Adrienne moving out and Ricky moving in, a stable year or so with me/Sarah/Ricky, finally learning how to ride a bike, and now Sarah is in San Diego, I'm moving to Cambridge, and the apartment gets new tenants in Omar and Audrey.  It's a great place!  Countless people have crashed on these floors.  I think everyone who lived here was converted to the way of the Tivo.  Many bottles of wine were drunk.  Mounds of burritos were eaten.  Too many walks were made between here and the shuttle stop.  The neighborhood is getting gentrified right under our eyes (hello Limon Rotisserie -- oh, and if you haven't been there, it's delicious and inexpensive) while simultaneously experiencing a crime spree inching up the city's murder rate dramatically.  

Though you might not be able to tell in California, fall is finally here.  A new year is starting.  It's time to say goodbye to fond old places, and make memories in new ones.

The Charles at sunset

republican national convention

Have you guys been watching this? Did you SEE Fred Thompson's speech? It looked like everybody in there was about to cry. Summary: He went into very specific detail about all the torture McCain endured during his 5.5 years of capture in Vietnam. Wow. I don't know the whole story, but I have to admit, the man seems to have some integrity.

The Huffington Post has the video and text of the speech. I encourage you to watch it.

Hmmm. Other sources indicate there were some slightly (very slightly) less honorable moments during his time there, but on the whole I don't think they detract much from the image Fred Thompson presented.

I didn't really see any of the Democratic convention, but this Republican one is definitely something to watch. It's like another world.