Roll it around and see how it feels.

This evening, against my better judgement and purely because I am of a macabre disposition, I am listening to a documentary about a plane that crashed when the 15 year old son of the pilot was having a go at sitting at the controls. It is on youtube, split into about 5 videos, and I am listening to it whilst on another page writing this. I should probably not be listening, since we fly off on holiday in a week, but I have an odd need to examine all sorts of 'what-ifs' for any change to my daily routine. I guess I figure that if I have thought about it happening to me, it probably won't, since it's always the thing you're least expecting that gets you.

I read a charming short story today, by Amos Oz, who makes my heart sing and brow furrow in equal measure. In it, I was introduced to a character with possibly the best name I have heard since Veruca Salt. Shimshon Sheinbaum. Shimshon Sheinbaum. Say it. Say it, out loud, three times. I will be amazed if you aren't smiling by the third time. I may write to Mr. Oz, and see if he's bothered to say it out loud. I bet he has. He probably spent hours, pacing back and forth in his study, saying all manner of name combinations over and over again until he found one that had this effect. Kudos, Mr. Oz, kudos.