On aviation security: we flew through Amsterdam on day two of the intense pat-down screening protocol, which occurred at the gate and delayed the flight roughly an hour (though KLM simply flew our triple-seven faster to recover that entire delay). It was - without doubt or qualification - the safest flight I've ever been on, but it didn't feel that way. All the scanning and searching just made people more nervous. I don't know if the human brain is capable of determining a preference between being un-reminded and living in 0.05% danger or being confronted by 0.005% danger. Is the order-of-magnitude safety improvement enough to effect the utility function of a flying person? I'm not sure, but I know the cost was real...all that extra JP-8 turned into a greenhouse gas after all.

On olive oil: we purchased a bottle of fine Italian olive oil (a tiny mini-bar-sized bottle which was carry-on approved, fyi) and are now weighing the possibility of being done with grocery store parmesan cheese and oil forever. It's so light and nutty that bread dipped in it needs neither seasoning or balsamic. We didn't totally buy into the "wine and oil tasting" signs that lined SR222 through Chianti (and didn't stop because they were all closed on a Sunday) but I get it now.

On Wisconsin! On Wisconsin! Just kidding, though it's been a marvelous romp through bowl season for the Big11Ten. Last game of the year is tonight and my only horse in the race is for one more memorable finish for the 2009 season.

On rear differentials, ball joints, and the joys of state inspections: it seems a violation of my civil liberties that the government obligates me to fix things which are not, strictly speaking, broken. Fortunately for the government my point is rendered moot by an implosion of the rear diff on the Jimmy. Between the shrapnel in the back end and the rickety front end this vehicle is effectively totalled, though not so much that it couldn't be driven at <8mph across Emmaus under cover of darkness. Thus...

On Subaru's 2007 Outback 2.5i Limited wagon: it is sweet. We picked it up Tuesday night and haven't really done much other than drive to work and back. When we own it on a sunny weekend day I will take a picture. In the meantime imagine silver and gray with black inside and immaculate all over.