Je Rentre au Monde des Blogeurs

Translation: I return to Blog World.

I haven't been away, just summering. I like summer. It's outdoors time. Of course now that I have my Airport Express up and running, I can be connected all the time, anywhere in my little 'zone.' However, computers don't like to get wet, which means one must be very careful when using them outside. There are also bugs--which do land on them and seem to like all the little crumbs someone (moi? jamais!!) left on the keyboard.

I'm thinking that I'll ease into fall. In so doing, I offer a few scattered vignettes, anecdotes, and etc.

1. Spent some time "off the grid" on Prince Edward Island. Enchantingly beautiful. Wanted to go even farther into the remote zone, to visit the Iles de la Madeleine--a 6 hour ferry ride from PEI. Liked being off the grid, but felt a little anxious about it, and the re-entry was jarring.

2. Saw Norah Jones at the Mann in Philadelphia. Wonderful night, wonderful performance. Her albums don't really convey the power, range, and subtlety of her voice--nor the muscularity of her band.

3. I've been thinking a lot about French Hip-Hop. When I was a teenager living in West Africa, French pop music was horrible (my opinion): kind of like a wussier version of disco music, rendered even worse in comparison to the fabulous Zairoise and Soca music that was everywhere. However, in the past few years I have become aware of artists like Les Nubians and Doc Gyneco, whose music is original, soulful, and infectious. What happened? Whatever is is or was, I endorse it.

4. Scenes from the modern world:
--The 'crisis' phone calls I get from my family invariably relate not to their health but to their computers.
--Yesterday I sat on my back porch downloading the latest "security update" while mending my husband's pants.
--My daughter has her own blog, and is hounding me because I haven't updated mine.