An Odd Monday

Blogs are supposed to be exercises in self-indulgent self-absorption, right? Allrighty, then ... I'm spending the whole day at home today -- as far as I know right now, at least. My day-job employer is certainly open for business today, but I'm forbidden to drive for almost three more weeks yet, and my other half, who's been driving me here and there, is a little indisposed today. So, I decided to declare today, 15 January, my first vacation day of 2007. I seem to be getting an early start on piddling away my vacation this year. Well, such is life. The decision was made easier by the fact that the institution of higher learning at which I do my evening teaching thing -- "the night job" -- is, in fact, closed today, in solemn observance of that secular saint, Martin L. King. I'm sure that much of America will be devoting itself this day to various sorts of meditation and somber reflection, just as we do on our other great secular holidays, such as Veterans' Day, Memorial Day, Presidents' Day, Fourth-O-July, and -- perhaps the supreme example -- Labor Day.

[I pause here to confess that I'm not sure whether there's supposed to be an Official Apostrophe in "Veterans' Day" or in "Presidents' Day," or not. Presumably, the former Day is supposed to "belong," in some sense, to more than one veteran, and the latter to more than one president. But in modern Amur'ka, it's kind of elitist and anti-democratic to actually know how to use an apostrophe to form a plural possessive. I suspect I've sinned against Equality here. I imagine that the modern Official Names of these Official Holidays are probably "Veterans Day" and "Presidents Day" -- you know, kind of like the drugstore chain "Walgreens." Stupid and slovenly. But, away with all that.]

So, anyway, I'm home today. I have a few things to do. Actually, I have a great many things to do, but most of them require two reasonably functional knees, and those will have to wait for a few more weeks yet. If the inspiration seizes me, this could end up being that rare thing -- a multipost day for me. Usually, of course, it's more like multiple days per post. But, away with all that, too.

Via Buried Treasure, here's an interesting piece from Vanity Fair. I enjoyed it, anyway; nobody snarks quite like the British do.

Well, so far, today's going pretty agreeably. If this is what "retirement" would be like, I could get used to it. However, I'll probably just work (at something) until I die, because I can't accept anything from Social Security. You shouldn't either; here's why.