It’s been one of  those weeks. So glad tomorrow’s Friday. I sometimes feel like I’m running on one of those wheels like a gerbil, and each revolution of the wheel is another week. Where’s my pellet of food?

I’ve been meaning to write journal entries about the various cool Web pages I come across in my limited Web surfing and blog-reading, but in most cases that feels like too much work. Check out my Twitter page for brief snippets that I’m too lazy to write and entry about (sorry, I just can’t use the word “blog” as a verb).

I’m trying not to get into politics too much, just because there are better sites out there you can read other than my blathering, but I wanted to share two cool sites very briefly. I’ll try to withhold any political discourse.

The first is the more important one — “Can I vote?” If you’re not sure if you’re registered in your city or town, give this site a quick look. All you need to do is type in your name and they’ll do the rest. You gotta love databases! Now you have no excuse not to vote.

Also, just in time for tomorrow’s presidential debates (oh yeah, there will be a debate, unless Unca Johnny McCain wants to completely blow his credibility — sorry! Did I get opinionated there?), you can Rate the Debates via FreePress.net. I signed up to do this, though I’m not really 100% what that’ll entail. Probably an online survey after the debate is over:

Did they cover the issues that matter to you, or did they focus on candidate gossip and campaign gotchas? Did they hold the candidates accountable, asking tough questions or pander?

And finally, I just wanted to add two links to two fine stories about maps that have inspired me to get back to work on my own map novel:

• “The Mappist,” by Barry Lopez (the last paragraph is just awesome)
• “Salting the Map” by Alan DeNiro (read it twice to get all the subtleties)

Speaking of, I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus this week on the ol’ novel. I’ve been trying to get away from too much computer time, since I’m at a computer all day at work, so I hit Staple today and bought a hardback “Rolla” notebook and a pile of pens. I did some writing in the notebook tonight (got a page of chapter six written!) and it’s… okay. Nothing great, and a little bit annoying.

Part of that is due to the fact that I haven’t written in longhand in forever, and the pens I bought are a little too fat (they stopped making the pens I used to use and love). But the other part is that the notebook’s rings get in my way (I’m a leftie) sometimes when I’m scribbling. I think I’m gonna stop at Barnes and Noble tomorrow to check out their Moleskine collection… Or maybe I’ll stick with my crazy Rolla…

Sometimes I hate being so picky and so anal. But what’s a gerbil like me supposed to do???