I saw Master and Commander: the Far Side of the World with Winnie this weekend. We chose that over going to see Matrix Revolutions on the IMAX screen, and I think we chose well. It was a fine movie, and I enjoyed the visit to San Francisco.

I ate a scramble of eggs, peppers, onions, tomato, and sausage for breakfast, as well as a few cinnamon rolls with orange frosting. For dinner, I made a spicy black bean soup with celery, peppers, onions, tomato, and sausage, and topped the meal off with fresh-baked cinnamon-raisin bread. Do I seem to repeat myself? If I've played the same theme twice, though, at least it was a theme worth playing. I enjoyed both meals.

I finished reading Stephenson's Quicksilver. I enjoyed it, but not as much as I enjoyed Cryptonomicon. I'm now reading The Culture We Deserve by Jacques Barzun, which is a pleasantly brisk and direct change of pace. Perhaps I'll stick to essays and short stories until I go home for the holidays.

• Currently drinking: Hot water with lemon