Just back from California, where I've enjoyed catching up with former colleagues. Good to see that all my old haunts in Palo Alto and Menlo Park are pretty much exactly the same too :) The only notable changes seem to be the new Apple store on University Avenue, and of course people are still talking about the arrival of Ikea... There's also a shiny new skate park in Menlo Park which caught Michael's eye, but he was under-equipped to partake, alas. Thanksgiving was a gloriously sunny day, and we drove North to Muir Woods and Beach. In fact, on my personal calendar, it's still Thanksgiving for me - that was, or perhaps is, today. In-car soundtrack was the fabulous Bowling for Soup . Sadly, going away meant I had to give away tickets for Faust , an NT/Punchdrunk production. From the people I know who've now seen it, reports are mixed, but I shall try to rebook for one of the 2007 dates. Promenade theatre is always worth going to.