Sometime this afternoon I'll be getting on the road, sliding off the radar for a week, hoping as do all vacationers that some distance from my daily grind will prove restorative. We're getting out by the skin of our teeth, a real hobo ramble into the desert. It's the least planned it's ever been, but maybe that's a good thing. We're relying on our cagey veteran status -- senior year and all. Personally, it would be great if I proved to myself that I'm up for that kind of risky business.

I'll be back next tuesday, spending some time in the Bay Area. See you all then!