The wisteria are in full bloom and are taking over! It's a southern plant that blooms in lilac-colored bunches, a vine that snakes its purple flowers through the big oak trees here. The purple wildflowers now carpet the ground, and there are still flowering dogwood to provide some contrast to all the green and purple. We've been getting a lot of rain, so the greens are lush and dark; even the sky is on the purple side with impending storms.

It may be the same state, but up here, it's the Old South, it's certainly not the tropical place most people think of when they think Florida.

I saw a coyote run across the street! I was driving down a semi-rural road today and it darted to the other side, fortunately not too close so there was no danger of me hitting it. It was too tall to be a fox, but it had a pointed fox-like face. Neat.

"Dirty Minute Meals" - A thorough list of Rachael Ray double entendres (and, guys, links to pics of R. Ray in suggestive poses - one of which involves a turkey!)

Will I ever grow up and tire of dirty-sounding, smutty humor? I doubt it.

I woke up this morning with the phrase, "make sure you're running toward something, and not just away from something" echoing in my head.

That's good advice. I need to keep that in mind when I decide whether or not to apply to PhD programs. Further research is needed. It would also help if I had some motivation to do the work my current program entails.

Speaking of Star Wars, I heartily endorse the dark chocolate M&Ms that are out there promoting the new Star Wars flick. Merchandizing never tasted so good! The good guys get pastel-colored wimpy milk chocolate; the bad guys get yummy dark chocolate in cool, ominous colors. Go figure. Speaking of evil, I convinced a very pregnant lady at Tar-Git to get some of these M&Ms. (Though in truth she didn't seem to need a load of convincing.) She said her husband was going to rush out and see the movie on premier day - she expected she'd still be with the newborn, stuck at home. I felt bad for her, but pointed out that we do know how it's going to end, so it's not like someone can surprise her with the ending before she can see it. Man, I hope Jar Jar Binks gets lasered in half. That would be sweet.

Me in American Lit today: "Walt Whitman was gay? I didn't even see that one coming. I mean, women loved him!"

I always know something is seriously, seriously wrong when I begin thinking that lunch at McDonalds would be tasty. Like there's a massive vitamin deficiency of some rare but essential mineral in my body and it's making me think crazy thoughts like that. McDonalds "food" leaves a weird film on my tongue. And the meat is dry. Why on earth do thoughts of a quarter pounder with cheese and fries taunt me with the delusion that they would taste great right about now?

My observations on what little I watched of the pope's funeral: (Yeah, they're late, sowhatareyagonnado?)

Lots and lots of old, mostly white, men. I really felt alienated, though as a non-Catholic, I guess technically I have no say. Only a couple of token females, and a few very old nuns. Very old and dehydrated. Is that what a lifetime of celibacy does to you? Now the Greek Orthodox guys - they have some cool hats and great fabrics. Also, while I'm all about Renaissance costumes, I think the Swiss Guards need semiautomatic weapons.

I watched it on Fox. Please note that while I despise Fox News so much it hurts, at least they know to not talk over a funeral. ABC News had some guy talking about how some "Vatican Insiders" thought JPII traveled too much - in the middle of his funeral?! That's just tacky. Note to Shepherd Smith - Italy is only about six hours ahead of Eastern time - not a whole day! He kept saying it was Saturday. Dolt.

Now on Saturday, when Chuck married his oh-so-dashing Camilla - it was the women's turn to wear the goofy hats. Does that say something about Protestants v. Catholics? Where were those in favor of family values at this wedding? After all, if the only reason to get married is to procreate, well, a couple of 50- year-olds aren't going to be doing too much of that. At least I hope they aren't. Chuck should just abdicate in favor of his sons. The least they can ask of their monarchy that does nothing is that they be good-looking. And what happened to Prince Andrew? Didn't Chuck used to have a brother?

If you were moved by the story of the life of JPII, you need to watch Hotel Rwanda.

Well enough time-wasting. Those English papers aren't going to write themselves. Unfortunately.

Classic signs of a rebound relationship - this new guy was meant to be kept at arm's length. Ex-Hitler Youth, former Grand Inquisitor of the church, he's 78 years old - this is designed to be a short-term relationship with no emotions involved. He is The Rebound Pope.

JPII is a tough act to follow. He was like Grandpa - people loved him even though his political views are stuck in the 1800s. "Aww, he's just an old man, I can't expect him to keep up with modern thought!" This new guy, his nickname was "the panzer cardinal", for crying out loud, he's going to be like your crazy great-uncle that no one wants to sit next to at Thanksgiving.

Some irreverant Live Journal-based New Pope Humor.

"'Cause old Mr. Mope's got you all wrapped up in the wet blanket of his mopey!"

Yep, it's that time of the semester again. Where feelings of mental inadequacy and depression mingle. But I made some egg salad, and maybe I'll go out and get a two liter of Diet Coke, so perhaps I'll be okay in a bit.

Snow (the neighbor's ferret) broke into our place again yesterday. This time I didn't scream - go me. Usually when I look to my left from my perch at the computer I see a lazy cat, not a tiny, inquisitive ferret. So I picked her up and put her in the bathroom for safety until I finished getting dressed. (Yes, Snow has seen me in my undies.) I figured a ferret that can break into an apartment may be clever enough to hack into the Pentagon or look up ferret porn, so I didn't want her in a room with a computer. We don't have a computer in the bathroom (yet), so off she went for a couple of minutes.

Fortunately one of the neighbors answered the door when I went over there, Snow in hand; it was the guy who came looking for Snow the first time, who I only see in Snow-related situations. I can't figure out what the dynamic is over there. Sometimes I hear someone playing "The Star Spangled Banner" on the saxaphone; other times it's generic rock on electric guitar. For some reason they very seldom answer the door. How do I know this? Whenever they get a UPS delivery, the UPS guy winds up over here, because we are the "door answering" sort of people. Then we get stuck with their packages for days, until I just give up and leave it on their doorstep. So I got to deliver Snow, whose absense had yet to be detected, and the giant box that's been in our entry for a couple of days.

I really hope Snow doesn't decide to break in when I'm not around. The last thing I want to deal with is a dead or injured ferret, or worse, dead or injured cat. Though ferret porn would also be unpleasant.