Welcome to the Rock.

Er, the Roch. As in Rochester.

But, as it turns out, it ain't so bad! We have assembled half of the contents of IKEA Pittsburgh in our little place here on Shepard Street, and my lady is happy, so I can't complain. My little dog seems ok, too, despite the ridiculously strong chemical bath we had to give him today as part of his ongoing anti-mange regimen. Yes, ladies and gents, for those who haven't already snickered over this, it is confirmed: my dog is mangy. But he's recovering nicely, and in good spirits. (When is he not, though?)

You are all officially invited to come see us here in the Flower City. Along the banks of the stately Genessee River, I will serve you delicious wine produced in the lovely Finger Lakes region, and regale you with tales of the exploits of local historical luminaries Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I will help you understand the importance of the Erie Canal in the history of our great nation, and I will take you to Canada to lose money in casinos within spitting distance of the majesty of roaring Niagara Falls. Also, we can tour the once-mighty, now largely vacant complexes of industrial giants Kodak and Xerox--let's try to guess how many local jobs they'll cut this year, and which countries they'll export them to! Come one, come all (just not all at once)--and taste the wonder of western New York--where awe meets depression!

Be glad the road trip's over with me,
TR