Rough Day

1. That house we thought we were going to buy? Not so much. There are good reasons why, but it still means we're back to square one. I'm looking at more houses in the same neighborhood on Saturday.

2. I'm here; my wife and children are here, 682 miles away; given #1, it's likely to stay that way for a while longer.

3. Turns out Sarah Palin can give a great speech (even filled, as it was, with distortions and half- and un-truths) and energize the base, making McCain's gamble pay off. It would have been so much easier over the next two months without an articulate, intelligent candidate in that slot.

4. Five losses in a row and an injured ace (or two). They're still a lock to make the playoffs and odds-on favorites to win the division, but after a season that was remarkably free of bumps in the road, this is a big one.

5. Two straight days without seeing the sun, with no end in sight.