The ringing in my right ear recently came back. It's like someone setting off a distant fire alarm in the wee hours every morning, just inside my head. Will see a doctor soon to catch the arsonist.

I've read 5 books so far this year, and there was a moment when I wondered if I could actually read a book a week for the rest of the year. It was of course, a very brief moment. Courtesy of the library, I'm currently reading Jeffrey Sach's "The End of Poverty", John Perkins' "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" and William Easterly's "The White man's Burden". Don't ask why. I just happened to stand next to a library shelf and all 3 books were on it.

You will be back this Sunday and it'll be the first time we'll see each other in what felt like forever. You're probably the only person who will gush upon knowing your Valentine's gift is a (huge!) claypot.

Welcome back.