Lists … everyone has them, and of all sorts of different things.

Over the last couple of days, one of the lists that I’ve discussed with various people is the “free reign celebrity” list … i.e., those celebrities that you have free reign to have sex with, regardless of partnership/marriage status.

My current top 5 is as follows:

1. Audrey Hepburn (in her prime, of course)
2. Cate Blanchett
3. Jennifer Garner (have you seen Elektra?)
4. Alyson Hannigan (”this one time, at band camp“)
5. Audrey Tautou (from Amelie)

Okay, so maybe I’m a weirdo with my choices, but there are reasons for everything.

Right now, it’s a tight battle between Cate Blanchett and Audrey Hepburn … definitely neck-and-neck … and such lovely necks at that!

So who is on your list?

For almost two weeks now, we’ve been stuck in a really nasty inversion layer; the smog is socked in so thick, you can barely see more than a few blocks, and it’s colder in the valley than it is in the mountains … and it doesn’t look like it’s going to clear out until next Saturday at the very soonest.

If I don’t get out of the smog soon, I’m gonna go crazy. At least it should be good at altitude again tomorrow … going skiing with Steve, Amy and family at Snowbasin, which ought to be a lot of fun.

But it’s definitely time to clean the gunk out of the air.

Enough quoting of other people’s poetry … time to try an original again.

A Smog-ku

Inversion layer
Socked in the valley, choking
      haze, no burn, no snow.

No snow, rain or wind,
The stagnant air remains while
      snow pack starts to melt.

USADA has dropped their case against Bart Gillespie!

Bart goes into great detail on his blog about what has happened, and as he indicates, hopefully USADA will re-look at Sager’s case as well.

Got the word today that the divorce papers are almost ready for me to sign before they get filed … and oddly enough, I’m feeling a sense of relief rather than despair.

One friend is likening the process to ripping off a Band-Aid quickly, so the wound can heal. That seems like a really good metaphor.

As it is, I’m looking forward to a good weekend … especially skiing at Snowbasin on Sunday … of course, I’m going to have to fit that around finding room to store the rest of my stuff once I retrieve it from the house.

Now, to get my budget under a little better control, get some debt paid down, and starting planning for the purchase of my own place by the end of the year (if all goes well).

Taking Leave of a Friend

Blue mountains to the north of the walls,
White river winding about them;
Here we must make separation
And go out through a thousand miles of dead grass.

Mind like a floating wide cloud,
Sunset like the parting of old acquaintances
Who bow over their clasped hands at a distance.
Our horses neigh to each other
      as we are departing.

  — Rihaku/Li T’ai Po (701 - 762), Chinese poet.
      Translation by Ezra Pound

Signed re-finance papers today, taking my name off the mortgage; although I’m still on the title deed until the divorce is final.

Feels weird. Wonder how long it will be before the loan is closed out on my credit report.

Then comes the unpleasant task of gathering the rest of my belongings, and dividing up communal property.

Joy!