24-hour linguist

I've finally found what it takes to get me out of bed on time:

A blackout.

Early this morning, I was awakened by a sound like something large and metal being dragged almost frictionlessly a short distance. I couldn't imagine what it was, but I really didn't want to spend a lot of time musing about it. A while later, I awoke again and noticed something was wrong. At first, I couldn't say what it was. Then it occurred to me: My fans are off. And, further: The omnipresent sound of air conditioners exhausting into the breezeway is gone. I checked my clock and, sure enough, it was dead.

I lay there for a little while thinking, Here it is again, blackout season. Thank you ComEd! This is the only city I've been in where you can weather ferocious storms without any loss of power and then BAM! on a perfectly clear day, without a moment's warning, it's yanked. Since I couldn't depend on my alarm to catch me if I feel asleep, I pushed myself to my feet and started the day.
( Dream story of passing linguistic interest )

Title of the Day

Non-uniform random variate generation. Luc Devroye. New York, 1986.

"Okay, but you have to buy me things."

Sometimes unfortunate events have positive consequences. Thanks to Nuphy's hospitalisation, I've seen more of some friends--like Zompist and his wife Lida--in the past few weeks than I have all year. The Swiss Miss is receiving an important life lesson, as am I, and I find myself growing closer to Nemuci.

Saturday night, I stayed with Nuphy until visiting hours ended. Nemuci had asked me to call her and tell her how her father was, which nurse he had, and so forth, but she and NLB happened to be online when I rang. The bus took me near Treppenheim anyway, so I decided I'd stop by and tell her in person. Walking the last two blocks, I noticed the most fantastic moon. The west was still glowing and lent it the colour of the off-round pearls I bought for my sister's graduation with Gorgeous Girl's help. (I only now made the connexion; at the time, the pale golden shade was tantalisingly familiar, but I just couldn't place it.)

When I got there, I immediately suggested a trip to the roof deck. I was prepared to drag them if need be, but Nemuci readily assented. She had just slipped in an MST3K DVD, which the Swiss Miss had agreed to watch it with her, but he was clearly not getting any of the humour. (He is Swiss, y'know.) The moon was behind a massive renovated warehouse to the southeast, but Nemuci and I clammered onto the stile connecting the roofs and used it as a moon-viewing bridge. Then we all plopped down on the decking and started chatting. About Nuphy, of course, but also about clutter, the nature of experience, and other trivially important things. The Swiss Miss said little. Nemuci mentioned a desire to go out for sushi sometime and I told her we'd make it this week.
( So we did. The End. )