It was a Wednesday evening after work. I was pretty fried from a busy day and didn’t seek entertainment beyond my 13″ TV. I was sucked in to an episode of “Miami Ink” on TLC. I think I may have found another favorite “reality TV” show. The stories behind the tats were most intriguing.

I’ll spend much of my Saturday at the Downtown Omaha Lit Fest. Will you?

I nabbed a copy of “Plans,” the new album by Death Cab for Cutie. I haven’t yet listened to it, but I’m hearing good things.

My trip to California is one month away. I can’t wait!

It’s so small, it’s huge!

http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/

I heard about this on NPR this morning. What a wonderful idea:

http://www.projectbackpack.org

Item! Word on the street is that Apple will announce an iTunes-friendly cell phone with Motorola today. My verdict: No thanks, Apple. I like my iPod just fine, thankyouverymuch.

Item! Matthew and I spent the Labor Day weekend in the Denver metro area, Aurora and Westminster, to be exact. Our visit was certainly made complete by stops at the Tattered Cover book store and The Apple Store in Cherry Creek.

Item! Despite the fact that this is a four-day work week, I’m already excited for Friday.

Item! Speaking of work, I’ve been given the green light to paint my office. Methinks I’ll select an aquamarine blue hue for these gray, drab walls of mine.

Item! Have I mentioned I’m excited for Jenny Lewis’ solo album?

But, it appears, not everyone loves their PC in the same way.

[Thanks to Chris Machian for sending this my way.]

If you are tired of getting unwanted credit card applications in the mail, you can now stop the junk mail.

New Federal Trade Commission laws require banks that send out pre-screened credit card applications to tell you how to be removed from their mailing lists.

That law took effect August 1st.

There’s a Web site and phone number where you can sign up to stop getting those credit card offers.

Try this: http://www.optoutprescreen.com

I filled up my car this morning, paying $2.56 a gallon.

Yikes.

Yikes!

For $19.09, I purchased 7.4 gallons of gas.

My Hyundai gets about 26 miles per gallon. That’s not bad. My dad, who drives a huge-ass Suburban, said he paid around 80 bucks earlier this week to fill his gas tank.

Ouch.

For those of you who work for a firm that charges clients by the hour, you’ll enjoy this:

Matthew and I embarked on a two-day adventure in Kansas City. We saw Rufus Wainwright and Ben Folds play The City Market last Saturday. On Sunday, we watched the Kansas City Royals get slaughtered by the Detroit Tigers at Kauffman Stadium. Although, we did see four home runs in the game — three of which cracked from the bats of Detroit players.

Here are other photos from last weekend.

Matthew and Mr. Benjamin Franklin at the plaza.

The two of us outside Kauffman Stadium. (Thanks to the couple who took our photo!)

Me near my car before used-book shopping Sunday morning.

The view from inside my car, as we waited for a two-hour downpour to subside. Streets were flooded through much of Kansas City.

Reading at Prospero’s Bookstore Sunday morning.

More reading at Prospero’s Bookstore.