I have an SUV

No, seriously, I do. It's like this: my car's in the shop this week, so my insurance company gave me a rental. But they had run out of the car I was supposed to have. So, they gave me the next smallest thing in stock at no additional charge: a Mitsubishi Endeavor. And true to form, it's enormous.

Seriously, I feel ridiculous just driving around in it. It's not even fun, reminding me of nothing so much as my parents' old minivan. Worst of all, it behooves me to gas it before I return it, and that's going to be a pretty penny. I'd like to think I evened things out by riding to lunch in a friend's new hybrid Honda Accord. But still. Ugh.

Stargate Atlantis: Season Two

The following are my wild speculations about things that will occur during the second season of Stargate Atlantis. As long as you've seen everything up until the season finale, there shouldn't be any spoilers:

• We'll find out much more about the creation of the Wraith. The team has speculated, but their guesses don't feel right. In particular, how much were the Ancients involved, and was it really an accident?
• Why did the Ancients have a nanite virus lying around that kills humans but leaves Ancients alone?
• Are the Wraith only able to feed on humans (and no other species)? If so, is this a nod to their origins?
• It's been hinted at, but to what extent exactly are the Wraith able to read the minds of their victims while they feed? Did they all wake up en masse because they'd found out about Earth?
• Do the Wraith have a hive mind? How do they breed?
• We know the Atlantis stargate wouldn't do the Wraith much good; it's hardly a practical way of transporting their entire population. So if they got their hands on the city itself, or otherwise determined the location of Earth, how long would it take them to get there? How would Earth's defenses stand up?
• To produce their seemingly endless supply of ships, the Wraith must have factory worlds, a la the Death Star; we might get to see these bases.
• If the team is able to get their hands on a fully-charged ZPM, not only will the shield be up, but we might just get to see the city fly.
• And here's the most outlandish one of all: remember the episode with the spider-like cousin of the Wraith? Remember how it didn't much like salt water? Well, maybe the Ancients submerged their city for a particular reason. What a world, what a world...

For the record, I cheated a bit and watched the season finale already. It rocks. Don't miss.

Random explorations

Another weekend of wandering the town at random, poking into obscure corners. Discovered an unmarked but very pretty little park just where the Kansas and Missouri Rivers join, and then that there's a pedestrian footbridge hidden underneath the I-70 bridge. Rather a lot of natural beauty right in the middle of the city around here, you just have to go looking.

Also went to the Kemper, KC's premier modern art museum. Saw lots of things I liked, but the most stunning was Editing in the Dark, a series of movies that loop continuously, with a plot but no beginning or end. Melancholy stuff, too, yet there's no dialogue. Couldn't stop thinking about it for hours afterward.

Finally saw Finding Neverland. Excellent stuff, quite a bit of the audience was sniffling by the end. It must have been a really good year in movies for it to get next to nothing in the way of Oscar considerations. Mr. Johnny Depp might be in danger of overexposure, though, with at least three more films that I know about coming out this year: Pirates of the Caribbean 2, Willy Wonka, and... Corpse Bride?!

Random observation on Wednesday: the equinox is almost here, because the sun was setting just slightly south of true west.

Things that are obvious in hindsight: one of my down-the-hall neighbors moved out today, and I should have seen it coming. Why? Because there's been an abandoned box of Macaroni & Cheese sitting in the hall for days, which frighteningly enough, is absolutely the first even mildly unusual thing that's happened at my apartment since I moved here.

Well, except for that Apple Studio Display I saw in the dumpster the other day. Presumably busted, but I still almost dived after it on pure instinct.

A wierd one

I really don't dream that often, maybe once every week or two at most. And when I do, they often tend to be extremely mundane. So last night's was unusually fun: the dream was more or less a pilot episode for WKRP in Cincinatti. It bore little resemblance to the original, except that they were auditioning hilariously incompetent staff. The really odd part was that the tycoon who owned the station was named Leopold Senghor, who's a famous African poet from Senegal. Except in the dream, I was convinced he was the grandson of a famous Impressionist painter. So what, precisely, is this supposed to say about my subconscious?

Strangely enough

I hear a lot of scuttlebutt at work, of course, but today's was the oddest in a while. Apparently the Oklahoma State basketball team was practicing in our company gym today, ahead of the Big 12 Tournament. And our CEO was seen giving a chancellor-type the grand tour - turns out he's an alumnus. Small world.

More explorations

As I was reminded, there was more to my weekend ramblings. I'd assumed there must be some way to get to the river itself from the River Market, and indeed there is. From a back corner of the neighborhood, a newish and well-lit pedestrian bridge leads over the train tracks to an observation deck some fifty feet above the river. That alone would be pleasant enough, but stairs lead down to the waterfront itself and a very singular scene.

On the one hand, there's a brand-new trail extending in either direction. Signs and empty concrete slabs announce a planned restaurant, entertainment wharf, interpretive center, and ecological restoration station. Sidewalk markers in the River Market lead you to the area, and the trail connects at either end to the existing network.

And yet. There's garbage - and worse - everwhere. A number of homeless men are plainly inhabiting the area. There are empty shells of collapsed buildings, and the remains of a ruined overpass leading nowhere. Plastic fences are trampled, and concrete barriers suddenly give up, allowing unfettered access to the trainyard.

In essence, it's urban renewal in a very early stage, started but far from finished. I've never seen an area quite like it before. Like a lot of places in Kansas City, pleasant enough in the daytime, but probably a bit dodgy at night. More information is available at the - ha! - Kansas City Port Authority.

An embarassment, also of riches

As many of you know, I live near Kansas City's River Market, much like Nebraska's Haymarket or Old Market. Yet I must sheepishly admit that I've never actually been there, despite living here nearly six months now. The only lame excuse I can offer is that it's been cold, rainy, or otherwise unpleasant nearly every weekend this entire time. Today was the first Saturday I actually felt like walking around a historic district shopping.

The verdict? Wow. What took me so long? I'm surrounded by an orgy of unusual and interesting stores, nearly all of which I'd actually consider buying something in (normally about one in ten in the larger world). I plan on spending my weekends doing things like this a lot more often now. Highlights included:

* The River Market Antique Mall, all 30,000 square feet of it in one building. I staggered out with a sort of nauseous capitalism overdose, convinced I'd seen one of every good produced in the 20th century.

* The Planters Company, four contiguous storefronts devoted to every possible outdoor/gardening good imaginable, like a compressed Earl May. And on top of that, an entire room devoted to freshly ground spices. I almost wet myself just smelling it.

* An Italian import/gourmet grocery, an organic food store, a wine shop, multiple coffeehouses, and weekly farmer's market (in the morning...) that I just missed.

* A used bookstore with two cats, as all good bookstores should have. Though, for some reason, neither of them had tails...

* Oggi Modern Furnishings, an orgy of unapologetic (and overpriced) modernism that's probably Kansas City's closest stab at those places they go on Queer Eye. Good for getting ideas, then finding them cheaper somewhere else.

Just in general, an envigorating sort of day. I'd nearly forgotten that I actually enjoy shopping - in the right kind of store.

Should have read my horoscope

Yesterday was not a good day. Overslept. Woke up and used the bathroom, and then noticed that the toilet was backed up. And I didn't have a plunger. Then I checked my email and discovered my solution manager had called a meeting on short notice, which was actually starting just as I read the message - at home. It's a wonder I didn't steer the car right off the bridge.