Well - it looks like life as we know it is just never going to be the same.

We got digital cable. We've got more channels now than we know what to do with plus all kinds of digital music to listen to, obsess over, and eventually purchase because we're just like that.

Personally, I'm looking forward to the rugby matches that we can now watch. I have to love any game in which big burly men fling smaller men - who are apparently wearing oven mitts on their heads - into the air like ballerinas for the express purpose of savaging the odd-shaped ball. And a scrum is simply scrumptious in my book.

But so far there's only been wickets and overs and googlies and a lovely Scottish football game with Ribena banners in the background.

So anyway - that's the excitement here.

Oh - and the whole being in the middle of a major terrorist target thing.

You know - I've kept up with all the news, but missed out on the past couple of days since I was having to work so late on matters of steam and iron. I knew we were in code orange (I can tell that simply from the traffic patterns around here) - but nothing has hit home with me until tonight.

I was talking with my mother, and for the first time I could hear the panic creeping into her normally calm, happy voice. Just a slight tremor of doubt that everything was going to be alright.

I've not quite been able to process that just yet. It's something new and it's giving me pause.

So I'm going to go ponder now - and just say -

y'all be careful out there - OK?