Not wanting to expedite my recovery from the strange euphoria I am experiencing, I hesitated to look at today’s headlines. I’m writing from the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex where urban planners are still willing to leave a few things to chance. Besides the unusual service roads, drivers are given the opportunity to take some risks and share driveways with trucks, take steep ramps, drive through extended parking lots, and not have to orbit a store twice to park. Trees don’t grow like lollipops in rows, and buildings don’t sport the national uniform with the big white cornice. The result is a little haphazard, but refreshing from the Stepford Wives cookie cutter new urbanism in most places. I did not see one plastic goose doing the sidestroke.

Searching the headlines back home, I see that rain still forms mud in the mountains. I remember getting caught in a rainstorm once on the mountain in question and seeing a 4-inch-diameter cubic stone roll with the washout across the street. Such is nature. I am not in a position to say whether these people are over-reacting to the risks they incur when building on a slope, or whether the developer was careless enough to seriously damage their property. Whether or not the developer is in violation of erosion control ordinances is, frankly, immaterial. The rain also prompted a candidate in the last race for city council, who advocated a moratorium on building downtown, to send a photo of mud at another large development to members of council.

The police blotter reports arrests for two auto thefts, one case of petty thievery, and three arrests for drug charges. Ongoing sagas of sheriff’s department corruption and child abuse by a minister continue to make headlines. The city fathers, however, continue to obsess over the size of letters on the infamous Staples’ sign.

Lastly, the local daily tells us to get out of town and see Stuart Copeland in Savannah, GA. That’s a nice idea, but I’ll be in Florida seeing another band managed by Stuart’s brother. Do not try to find me.

I don’t like being crabby all the time, so if any politicians out there wouldn’t mind doing something Constitutional and praiseworthy . . .