Loose ends

It may be a while before I write another blog post, so here are a few things I need to get tied up first.

• On Monday I'm going under the knife (under the laparoscope, actually) for abdominal surgery that I hope will fix the diverticulitis problem that has cursed me throughout the past year. I was originally supposed to have this done on July 18, after my summer teaching was over, but it's become increasingly evident that it can't wait that long. The recovery will take a few weeks, and then I may feel up to serious intellectual challenges again. In the meantime, they'll have to wait.

• As of today, guns on campus appears to be dead in Texas. It took an awful lot of phone calling, testifying and petitioning by an awful lot of concerned people, but it looks like we actually beat the NRA. Let me repeat that: WE ACTUALLY BEAT THE NRA! (And in the process, we affirmed the will of the majority of Texas voters.) Of course, I've been wrong about this before.

• The joint recital that I was planning to give with my son Jeremy will have to be postponed until late summer or early fall. We absolutely will be giving it. In the meantime, Jeremy will have sung Donaudy at the state-wide solo and ensemble competition in Austin and traveled throughout the United Kingdom as a People to People Student Ambassador. He will sing and play the piano better than ever. Watch this space for the final recital date.

• My daughter Jennifer just finished her freshman year at Baylor, has moved back into the house, and is cleaning up her room. This is almost as remarkable as the last two points.

• My father had some extraordinary complications after his bypass surgery, but he's home and doing much better.

• My blog had its 4,000th pageview sometime this week. I know this isn't much of a post, but I appreciate all of you who have been reading what I have to say. Assuming I'm right and the Rapture doesn't happen tomorrow—in fact, assuming I'm right and the Rapture is a gross theological distortion that nobody who understands any of the three major Abrahamic religions could take seriously—I'll be back.