I just stumbled across a great short-short story I hadn't read in published form before: Ben Rosenbaum's The Death Trap of Dr. Nefario. This is such a fun story, and an absolute must for anyone who was a Batman fan in early life. So go read it! :)

It also reminded me (by sheer random tangent logic--the two stories aren't similar in most regards) of how much I loved The Incredibles, which we saw last Saturday. I'd expected it to be a fun, likable movie, and a pleasant evening. As we sat through THIRTY MINUTES of pre-movie advertising (!!!!!!!!!!!!!), I found myself getting more and more irritated. By the end, I was thinking: "Nothing is worth sitting through this. Nothing! Why didn't we wait for DVD?" Then the movie started, and I loved it. It was funny, sweet, serious and real (not the first adjective I'd normally think of for an animated film)...by far my favorite movie that I've seen for a long time.

And speaking of movies, I just got a very exciting phone call--Patrick, calling to let me know he'd found copies of the extended-edition DVD of Return of the King for £19.99 at Morrisons! Woohoo! I predict a Tolkien-filled evening tonight and for the rest of the weekend. Perhaps we may emerge for a few hours now and again on Saturday and Sunday, to take Nika out to the grass and so on. But that will probably be it.

And, yeah, I have that conference paper to write, and so on. I do remember. I'm just trying not to think about it...

I started Chapter Eleven of Music of the Stars this morning, using Tirenze as the tentative name for my little Italian city-state. (Thanks Sarah!) I'm having fun.