Randy Leonard was whispering sweet nothings into my ear.

It started off innocuously enough, of course. I woke up at 3 in the morning, stumbled out of bed to check email (doesn’t everyone do this when insomnia hits?), fired off a lengthy comment to this BlueOregon post, and then crawled back into bed. I figured I’d perform my civic duty by tuning into channel 29 (I’ve been catching up on school board meetings this way as well), and hit the jackpot: a Portland City Council meeting talking about the budget process.

If I remember correctly, Randy was stating his case for an independent budget finance group reporting directly to the four council members (personally, I was mesmerized by his yellow half-zip pullover sweater), while Tim Grewe was rebutting by claiming that the current group was already willing to serve. Or something like that – remember, it was three in the morning. (Note to the people sitting in the row behind Leonard: If the guy in front of you is talking, you might want to keep your weird facial grimaces contained, hmmm?)

The next thing I remember, Randy’s crouched down next to me, whispering persuasively into my ear. He needs me, you see – to offer up public testimony in support of his idea so that Grampy will start to believe that it’s a ‘vision thing’ after all.

I demur, of course – after all, I’m just not that kind of girl (the comments I’ve been posting hither and yon about school funding issues on local blogs around town notwithstanding.) But that sweater…it was just so mesmerizing….

I can feel myself just about to give in (either that or it’s the bourbon I had before bedtime weakening my resistance.) Instead, I awake to the blue screen on Channel 29, and an alarm clock telling me it’s time to get up already.

That does it. No more public access television after midnight for me…!