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    My shins are still hurting from a hike we did Saturday. Granted, the hike was mostly uphill so I'm not really surprised. There was much gnashing of teeth from T. over my impromptu decision to go on a hike at all but, of course, once we got out there all was well.

    We started at McLeay park and took part of the Wildfire(?) trail up to the Upper McLeay trail straight up to Pittock Mansion. The mansion was a surprise since we didn't know the trail led there. We wandered around the grounds and ate our lunches (chicken and avocado on foccacia for me and some strange wrap for T.). There was a girl in a silver bikini getting her pictures done. She must have been freezing and she looked ridiculous all perched doggie-style across the back of a bench. It was somewhat chilly since it overcast and with a wind up there on the hill. Hiking the switchbacks was moderately hard work and I was grateful for the chilliness.

    Going back down took half the time of going up since we nearly ran. On the way down T. and I discussed the nature of protected forests and parks. We mostly pondered the path we were on and wondered whether it was to keep the nature away from us or us from the nature. Because of the path we didn't actually have to touch anything. We had no logs to scramble over or poison oak to avoid. In that sense, it was almost sanitized by traipsing through the established groove. However, the groove also keeps us from harming plants and bugs and ourselves. So, the path keeps us from nature and nature from us while simultaneously immersing us in nature. The role of the parks service is an interesting one. It polices how we treat the land while letting us have as much access to the land as is possible. And, if there were no land then it all might be a barren scape of population. Or, perhaps, a crowded scape of nothing. Of course, the irony of wanting to get higher for a good view of the city does not escape me.

    After hiking, T. and I met up with Magoo and Todd at the Buffalo Gap to watch the USC/Ducks game. We all drank our weight in beer and thoroughly annoyed the wait staff by moving tables three times. We just couldn't get a good view of the game because other people in the room kept coming and going. Anyway, it was all good and the game went into three overtimes but the Ducks won with a field goal from their 3rd string kicker.

    Saturday, neither T. nor I left the apartment even once. I know this because I never got out of my pajamas and when I went to lock up at bedtime I discovered the front door locked which means we never unlocked it. I puttered on my computer, mopped the kitchen and bathroom and loaded and unloaded the dishwasher. We played Trivial Pursuit (I know, stop the madness) and I won which is weird because I think I actually got every question wrong. We also watched part of the unwatchable new show Snoops — soon to be canned, I'm sure. I was disappointed in Gina Gershon. Her character seemed really, really lame and she needs to close her mouth because she looks like she's tryin' to be Puff Daddy. The token male on the show had the worst music following him around. His scenes were so hokey that I was sure he was going to get murdered. Any second. Just killed dead. Okay, if you're not going to kill him then I'm switching channels. It's plain that David Kelley has reached his creative limits.

    We also watched parts of the SNL 25th anniversary show and I taped it to watch later. I wasn't all that impressed with the bits that I caught. I thought some of the live stuff was really, really lame. Also, the two bits that they chose for Phil Hartman and Chris Farley were really odd and in no way showed them at their finest. I guess maybe those clips meant more to the cast than me. And the end part with Lorne Michaels? I just didn't get it. Of course, I've never really understood who he was or what he did. He seems patently unfunny so I guess he's just the money. There's something evil and devoid about him.

    Saturday Night Live is sort of an odd fixture in American culture, don't you think? Watching some of those older bits I was taken aback by how much they poked at race and religion. It was refreshing and interesting. Chris Rock is the only one I see still doing that, still poking at the icky things. SNL is really due for a shake up. Kill evil Lorne Michaels and revamp it; make it funny again. America needs it.