Where's Larry?

As I have recently said, I have a very clear idea of how many people read this blog and some sense of who they are. This is not a big-time operation. It is something I do primarily for my own amusement. So, why do I feel guilty? Why do I feel pressure to post? Who knows, but I do.

The reason I have not posted in a while is two fold. First, I was on vacation. That was good. I came home from vacation sick. That was bad. Pretty much all week, I have been down with fever. I feel like a lizard--I seem incapable of controlling my body temperature. At least I did. Today I am feeling much better, thank you.

What I have been doing with my time is watching my new favorite show: History Detectives. This is a very cool show in which a team of professionals investigate the interesting little stories and artifacts people submit. For example, a woman from Greenwich Village asked whether John Wilkes Booth may have plotted to kill Lincoln in her living room. They hunt down real estate records, theater historians, and other evidence to determine that Booth was in New York at the relevant time and that the house had been occupied by an actor friend of Booth's. Eventually, they found that Booth's friend had given testimony to the congressional investigation recounting a meeting with Booth in which he explained a plot to kidnap Lincoln. It's very cool when it comes together like that.

In another episode, two sisters in Louisiana wanted proof that their short sword (technically a dirk) was given to their ancestor by Napoleon. Turns out the dirk was made too late to have belonged to Napoleon. But, they dug up info on the ancestor and found out that he was present at the Battle of Wagram. In fact, he was a hero and captured the enemy flag. Guess what, Napoleon did in fact give him an honorary weapon. But it was a pistol, not a dirk. Again, it is cool to see family stories revealed.

That is all relevant to absolutely nothing. But, it is what was on my DVR and what I have been watching while doped up on cold medicine and too addle-brained to work. It beats the heck out of Oprah, Regis, or--Lord help me--The View.

My flu fog is lifting. I hope to be back to substantive work soon.

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