(no subject)

My neighbors across the sidewalk are having a barbecue. There are several kids over there, at least one of whom has a whistle, and another of whom has some toy or other that includes a fire engine siren. I haven't been home much since that started. For some reason, the whole situation (including the fact that I can choose not to be home) amuses me. I'm in a strange frame of mind.

When I went grocery shopping, I noticed a guy in the movie theater parking lot selling bonsai trees. I caved in and bought one. If I can keep it alive until Christmas, it'll be a minor miracle for one thing, and a substitute Christmas tree for another. I haven't tried to keep anything more complicated than my jade plant alive for quite a while. The jade plant seems to be just fine, even though it hasn't been watered in three weeks. It's not even wilted. Go figure.

I should go collect the laundry and take myself off to the laundromat. I managed to come out exactly even laundry-wise this trip, which is kind of nifty, but it means that everything I brought with me is now dirty laundry. I sort of wish I'd had luggage space for one of the pairs of pants I bought last week, because today I'm in my "starving grad student" disguise (clean, but threadbare, and not quite fit for appearing in public, but I do it anyway because I have no choice).

The whistle-and-siren convention across the way has turned into a who-can-yell-louder convention. Definitely time to go do laundry.