September has arrived. (Why, yes, I can state the incredibly obvious.) Actually, it arrived a week ago, but I didn't have the chance to memorialize it in these pages.

The nights are chillier, dusk comes earlier and my incredulity at the speed of which the months have passed is greater than it was a week ago. Only 109 shopping days 'til Christmas!

I saw my newborn nephew on Monday for the second time and held him for the first time. He's sooo little! He's got quite a strong grip for a nearly two week old baby. Of course, he decided to "baptize" me, as little babies are wont to do. It reminded me of the scene from Three Men and a Baby, but up through the top of his diaper. Thank heaven I was planning to wash my clothes while at my folks' place anyway!

But little Ryan Lynden is quite adorable, with a lot of dark hair and a little red face that squinches up in concentration. I swear, sometimes that kid looks more intelligent and aware than some adults I've met. Sis Teresa is still amazed that she's got this tiny little baby to take care of, and she's loving every nerve-wracking minute of it.

As for the three little kittens I've been taking care of this past week, it's been a chore. I'd forgotten how little kittens can get into everything. Teresa and I had a couple of tentative homes lined up, but they've fallen through, and I don't know how much longer I can take care of them and my boys (who are adjusting to the little terrors ok). I think it's time to look into kitty adoption agencies (no shelters for these babies!).

I'm going to keep one of the kittens and I finally came up with a name for her: Ella. It seems to fit her and also fits the (unintentionally) pretentious theme of the boys' names: Noel and Matisse. Besides, I love Ella Fitzgerald and we share a birthday, and little Ella is very lovable, a short haired gray tabby. She's quieter than her brothers, but is still active like a kitten, and yesterday she sat in front of the TV and watched a casserole being made. Gotta love a kitten like that!

I'm a pretty hip kinda gal, always on the cutting edge, sussing out the latest trends and fads before they become over-exposed like some pseudo-arty music video.

(Is "sussing" a word? If so, am I using it right? I don't know, but I like it and I'm gonna keep using it. And did my simile make sense? Well, it doesn't have to, because I'm just too hip and trendy to worry about it. *tossing hair* Whoops, sorry! Can I have that back?)

Anyway, I've become enamored of a little known TV series that I predict will become the next big thing. I'd like to share it with all of you.

It's Max Headroom.

Oh, shut up.

When the series was originally on TV, I think I watched it occasionally, but that was around the time that Star Trek: The Next Generation was taking off. Being the devout Trekker, I was all geared up for that and paid little attention to other TV shows. Then Max Headroom became a huge pop icon. (Tee hee, New Coke, "pop icon", get it? Sometimes I slay me. Ohhh, never mind.) Everywhere I turned I saw good ol' Max and was quickly bored with the over-saturation. So I just tuned it out.

(This is nothing against Matt Frewer, I've always enjoyed his work. But more on that later.)

About a year and a half ago I briefly dated an actor whom I had known in high school. On his resume he listed Max Headroom. Cool, I thought. When I noticed that Bravo was showing Max Headroom, I thought I'd give it a look, see if I could spot Larry. (I had found out which episode he was in from an ep guide, since he and I were no longer dating but me still being the curious type. He has since removed the Max credit from his online resume.)

Hey, this show was darned good! It had a nice, dark look to it that appeals to me, plus a certain humor and inventiveness. I really enjoyed watching it and got a couple of eps on tape, when I could catch it (Bravo rarely showed it at the same time each weekend, and sometimes not at all). The chemistry between Frewer, Amanda Pays and Jeffrey Tambor was fantastic. Even the simple computer graphics (done on an Amiga) still look pretty good. Then there's the recurring characters, who were always a treat and are a who's who of character actors that I love to watch (Concetta Tomei, William Morgan Sheppard, Jere Burns, George Coe, Charles Rocket, Rosalind Chao, among others).

This past weekend it was "Sci-Fi Weekend" on Bravo. And there was a Max Headroom marathon. Except I didn't know it was a marathon, which means I still missed most of the series, since they showed practically every ep (only 14 episodes were filmed). I was able to tape four more eps, and while watching them, a single thought ran around in my head: Hey, that Matt Frewer is really attractive! (Yes, another crush. Yeah, yeah, I know. Well, just leave me alone, 'k?)

Time for some research. I looked him up, came up with his filmography and some info. (*sigh* Yes, he's married with a little girl. *pout* Oh well. Wait, I don't think that came out right. I meant he's been married since 1984 [hmmm, same year I graduated from high school] and has a nearly 3 year old daughter.) He's Canadian and was classically trained in England before the whole Max Headroom thing. He's since made some rather poor film choices (National Lampoon's Senior Trip? In the Doghouse? Matt, sweetie, what were ya thinking?) But he's quite versatile, with performances that range from very intense to incredibly goofy, and an underlying intelligence that drives his characters, even when they're less than well-developed. He's just always a joy to watch.

And damned good-looking to boot. (How can one not think that this man is attractive? Whoa, be still my beating heart!) Better yet, he's currently starring in a syndicated series called Psi Factor. Woo Hoo! It's VCR time! I've already got one ep taped. I just wish it wasn't on at 1:30 am on Mondays. I'm so glad I know how to work the VCR timer.

In addition to all that, he's an environmental activist. And I love them activist types.

Hmmm, I wonder how much it would cost to fly to Canada. (Just kidding!)

By the way, I never did see Larry in the ep Deities, but his name is the last one in the credits. His scene must have made the cutting room floor. Oh well.

Tomorrow is my parents' 37th wedding anniversary. Wow.