Las Vegas means The Meadows

The setting: JBG's very 60s pad in downtown Las Vegas, which house features white brick highlights, a killer sunroom, and a bright yellow Formica kitchen table which some of you might remember from the Hollyhock house in old Eugene, OR.

What we did last night: went to the Artisan lounge in downtown Vegas, where there are no slots and no games.

What we talked about: English pedagogy, Campbell McGrath, where to get married in Vegas and avoid "that Vegasy feeling", home renovations.

What I'm teaching on Tuesday: Jane Austen's Persuasion.

How I'm feeling about that: Surprisingly confident.

What the weather's doing: Mid-70s, overcast, a few incidental raindroplets that do nothing to interfere with your plans or your mood.

Best simile that goes a long way toward explaining why taking care of a pool is so engaging and fun: "It's like a big witch's brew."

Plans for today: Purchase and read Persuasion - OK, maybe just a couple of chapters for today - then pick up some batteries for the camera, snag a smart-looking jacket, hit the In-N-Out Burger and order off its secret menu, and then, then, it's the Strip, the Strip, the Strip.

What's on the stereo right now: Broken Social Scene, You Forgot It In People, "Pacific Theme", which more than any other song you can think of is the soundtrack to this whole trip and all of your impending victories.