So far the highlight of this otherwise uneventful, mildly boring week was the Blues on the Mall this evening, in sunny downtown Grand Rapids. The Chicago Rhythm and Blues Kings played up a storm and around 500 people danced and jived the night away.

I realized today that I need a vacation. Yes, I just returned from a vacation, but slow days inside, away from the sun and the music and, well, sleep — those days drain my energy and willpower and what little there is to do remains unaccomplished.

In another few days I will have the generic pictures-and-thumbnails template complete. The first gallery will be of the martial arts demonstration my class performed at Festival two weeks ago. We kicked ass.