I’m currently in the process of packing for my move. I’m discovering long-lost photos, missing socks, and things that I didn’t know I had. For example, why in the world do I have not one, not two, but *three* santa hats?

I learned a valuable lesson today. If, in an attempt to make small talk, you ask the woman cutting your hair if she has any big plans for the upcoming 4th of July holiday, be sure that there are no potential language barriers. If there are such barriers, she might interpret your casual query as a proposition of some sort, point to a ring on her finger, and leave you stammering that you “didn’t mean it that way.” The ensuing haircut will be extremely short (yikes!), and the time will be extremely awkward.

It’s been years since I’ve had my hair this short. On the upside, it will eventually grow out again.

That it is a cliche does not make it less true: the key to success is hiring the right people.

Have you ever been in a mental hospital? I visited one last night — in a dream.

Thanks to a really neat music video, I had Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” stuck in my head as I fell asleep. As best as I can figure, my mind parlayed the song title into a dream storyline. In the dream, I was committed; for what I’m not sure. The really disturbing thing was that a number of my coworkers were also committed. I wish I could use more of my brain’s creativity in waking life.

I’ll try to find a song about fast cars for tonight.

It’s mango season, and it’s delicious.

A few years ago, I ate my first mango. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked. Trouble is, it’s difficult to find good mangoes in Minnesota during most of the year. They tend to either ripen poorly or be quite stringy. That’s not how I like my mangoes. I want ’em soft and juicy, full of mango flavor not mango fiber. They don’t even need to be too sweet; in fact, I’m not fond of cloyingly sweet mangoes.

This time of year, stores in Minnesota begin to stock my favorite readily-available variety of mango, the ataulfo. This golden-yellow variety is smaller than the more common redish-green varieties seen in stores year-round. It has softer flesh and better flavor, too. If you find ripe (soft) ataulfo specimens in a local store, I recommend that you give one a try.

I discovered the joy of mangoes in one of my periodic trials of new-to-me foods. I wonder what else I haven’t yet tried that is as good as or better than a mango?