1. The other day at the AMNH I was looking at an ice core and a guy behind me said to his kids, “Yeah, they’re gonna take a hundred year sample of our billion year history and say, ‘that’s climate change’.  Scientists…  Humph.  Let’s get outta here.”  I was enraged, of course, and couldn’t shake it for at least an hour.  Later, however, another father was encouraging his daughter to pick out a book on math.  She wasn’t interested, of course, but his effort was enough to restore my faith in humanity.
2. My dad was a father of the latter sort when I was growing up.  
3. Mom, too:  whatever her shortcomings, she infallibly encouraged curiosity and creativity.
4. They’re putting up scaffolding outside my windows for external repairs and they’ll be covered with mesh for the rest of the year, at least.  I’m not a bit happy about it, but the repairs need to be made – it’s an 85-year-old building – and the management is offering me a rent concession, which they really don’t have to do.
5. My stomach is full and I’m ready for bed.

Many thanks,

Me