"Don't you wish there were a knob on the TV to turn up the intelligence? There's one marked 'Brightness,' but it doesn't work." ~ Leo Gallagher

The weather has turned cold and you can smell *it* in the air. September is coming. There is a distinct smell that comes with the change of this season, yet it is hard to describe...it is crisp, frosty, kind of tinny smell. It is the smell of yellow leaves falling...of a long, arduous winter ahead. It is the smell that triggers the anticipation of planning for back to school. Makes me want to buy new clothes and binders and get me some new cool pens.

This is the time of year when visitors go back home from their holidays. Goodbye Cherie and OTC, I will miss you more than you know. Leighanne leaves in 2 weeks too. Every time I say goodbye, I wish I was on the leaving end and not the staying end.
Only 2 more years.

Over the last 5 days I have seen more TV than I ever thought possible. What with the Olympics on every channel (although I find myself constantly landing on the French channel, which is weird) and spending time at friends' houses where digital cable is readily available. Well, let's say I have seen enough "Futurama" to last me for a while now. I also got my first glimpse of 3 shows I had only ever heard about. The first was "Da Ali G show".

"Mother of God" I thought, "is that Newt Gingrich? Oh my God it *is* Newt Gingrich."

Ali G interviewing Newt and it took him 10 minutes just to get the name spelled right...Then Ali G talks in studio with a Drug Enforcement Agent. This long table was loaded up with every drug know to man and he's asking the Agent how he mixes his drugs and how many ecstasy he would consider the limit. Of course the Agent scoffs and says he would *never* even ingest one tablet which promts Ali G to launch into this anecdote about his friend who took 23 at one time. At the very end he remarks, off-handedly, that the table full of drugs would only serve a *small party* and the look on the DEA's face was priceless.
If you have never seen it, wear your Depends(TM), it is literally *that* funny.

I also caught an episode of "Trailer Park Boys" (who knew that Bubbles would be the *smart* one)and an episode of "Orange County Choppers". Glad I don't have a father like that...cripes. But they make some pretty wicked choppers...kind of a cool show.

So yeah, mindless fun. The best part is really hanging with the boys and listening to their commentary on these TV shows...which is far more funny that the shows could ever be.
Is anybody else tired of all the Olympic commercials? Ronald McDonald diving and synchronized swimming? Puh-lease! I hope the irony of that made you laugh like I did.

Thank God school starts soon...and I'm grateful I had that meeting with the ladies at the International Centre...or my mind might just turn to mush soon. We are thinking "Making Poverty History" as a theme for I-week. It feels good to have a project to focus on!