Playing by the numbers

I liked Burn Notice last night, but then again I’ve rarely been disappointed by the show. Michael’s mother wasn’t around at all, though she’s usually good for a couple of interesting scenes. I like the way they delay identifying a person as “the client” until that crucial moment when Michael decides to fight the good fight on their behalf. Haven’t seen Robin Givens in forever, not that she had a terribly big part in the episode. It was sort of an inverted caper. Liked the champagne and balloons gag at the end, too.

I had my first physical in a number of years recently. The results were all within normal ranges. My cholesterol was well under 200 and LDL, HDL and triglicerides pretty much where they’re supposed to be. The doctor recommended fish oil supplements to raise my HDL a tad. Ugh. Puts me in mind of the cod liver oil gelcaps we used to take during the winter months when I was a kid. The theory was that, when the days were short like they are in the northern climes, we didn’t get enough sun to produce Vitamin D, so we took the oil pills. They were a step up from the dreaded “spoonful of oil” previous generations were subjected to, but the caps had an oily feel to them and their fishy contents were only an uncareful bite away from spilling into my mouth, which happened at least once. I’m sure technology has improved, but I think I still have nightmares about those oily brownish capsules.

Today’s rejection letter: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. Though interesting, the story didn’t fit into the few available slots they have. Ah, well. I do have a story coming down the pipeline in that magazine, though I haven’t been told exactly when it will appear yet. I keep thinking they’ve changed their mind or something, even though I’ve already been paid.