Nominee: Worst Idea of the Year

Here's the most singularly, spectacularly stupid idea i've heard all year:

• China is building a freaking road up the side of Mt. Everest

New River Valley Notes

Tin roofs. I had heard of them, but until living here, had never actually seen them. They are very odd (but, as I'm beginning to learn everything in this place is a bit *odd*). And a little ugly, if practical.

I thought by now I would have some concrete opinions about this place, but I find myself oddly ambivalent and UNopinionated. I remain surprised and pleased by how sunny it is here. It's rained exactly twice since we've been here. Mornings are always foggy - maybe from living right next to a sizeable river? - and then it burns off to reveal sunshine. It's like the complete polar opposite of Pittsburgh.

Our cellar-thingy (it's basically a disgusting dirt cave under the house) is, as I horrifyingly learned last week, INFESTED (seriously, seriously infested) with about a trillion Very Very Nasty camelback crickets . Am going on an aggressive and desperate house hunting mission to get us out of this dump. Assuming we stay.