It's cold out tonight, a pleasantly crisp Autumn evening. Those are rare here in Los Angeles, and to be savored. A good dinner - pork chops braised in a soy-ginger marinade, peas cooked with shallots (which was surprisingly good - give peas a chance!) and a carrot-ginger soup that both appeased the cold of the evening and complemented the pork very nicely.

There's a crazy wind blowing. It's backing from all quarters, making tree branches scratch on window panes. Normally the wind blows from off-shore, and this never happens. But tonight we're in the center of a swirling wind pattern. Which is different.

And then President Obama is on the tv, giving just the sort of acceptance speech I wanted to hear - that his election was a remarkable change, but that it's really just the key to unlock the real change Americans want; a restoration of our national honor, dignity, and commitment to the ideals that made our nation great.

The wind is still blowing. At last.