Insert Clever Title Here

9:51am: Hmmm...
Guy Clark playing on the iPod? Check.
Good hot coffee ready to be consumed? Check.
Ready to take on the day? Well, I dunno...

I never seem to like Sundays anymore. They're supposed to be a day of rest and yet around here, they seem to be filled with errands and running here and there and everywhere. We have to get the little guy from his dad's, grocery shop, laundry, and whatever else comes our way. Having both kids back is nice - April really enjoys having both her babies home - but the first day and night are stressful for me. On their own, each is fairly easy to handle. Together, it's sometimes too damn much noise and nitpicking for me. Don't get me wrong: they are really good kids and as a parent (step-parent, whatever) I couldn't have asked for better. It's just... well, you know, kids being kids. I know one day I'll look back and wish things were this easy to deal with them again :)

icubud sent me a gift card for Amazon for my birthday, which brought a huge smile to my face. I used part of it to buy Worried by Asie Payton, an obscure blues singer who never released an album in his lifetime. He died of a heart-attack while plowing his fields on his tractor at the age of 60 nearly 15 years ago. The album is a ten-track collection of tunes recorded two years before he passed on. It's raw, hard blues that you just don't get in Chicago, Memphis, or any big city. It's mostly just him and his guitar and a drummer and I really like it (there's a remix on there that I hate, but oh, well). I'd recommend his stuff if you're looking for something different. 

As a historical refrence, in the early-to-mid 90s, a small label called Fat Possum Records began searching out older and lesser-known blues singers from the Mississippi Hill Country and finally recording them for the masses. R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough were the most popular, but others, such as Robert Belfour, Paul "Wine" Jones, and more, were excellent, too. Belfour is still alive and touring, last I heard.  

It was my Darling's birthday Friday. I took the day off work so we could spend it together. I took Maddie to school, then we hung out around the house for awhile. We went to lunch at One Eyed Jack's, which was darn good. We got some coffee at Fat Chix, and April got hers on the house :) Our folks and my sister came over for cake & ice cream around 5:30pm, then I took her to Verdoni's for her birthday dinner. The service wasn't very good this time, but it was our waitress, not the restaurant. The food was top-notch, so we'll definitely continue to go there. I'm not big on Italian, but that place is worth going to.

Last night we went to Matt & Wendy's for dinner and got to be officially introduced to Martin Edward Leonard. The food was great, and after dessert Matt and I adjourned to the garage for Bushmills and cigars while the ladies fawned over the baby. He is a cute little fella, I'll say that.

That's about it for now. Off to the circus that Sundays invariably become. I'll going to try and keep a positive attitude, though. Everyday I'm alive and having fun is a good day :) I hope you're all well. Take care.

7:32am: Writer's Block: Sweat it out

Absolutely.

With the alarming rates of obesity in this country, taking care of our kids is a must. Physical Education doesn't just mean running and pull-ups. Not every kid is cut out to be an athlete or play sports, but every kid can be taught how to be healthy. There are ways for every child to be active, even if it's just walking. 

Physical education should be about teaching them how to exercise - and it's different for everyone, since no two bodies are the same and not everyone can do everything required in a traditional "gym" class - and promoting good habits. It's also teaching them about good food & nutrition, how to stay healthy by taking their vitamins and eating right, how to spot signs of ill health, and to treat their bodies properly overall. It's about making them feel comfortable with their own bodies while inspiring them to want to make exercise fun.

I wish Gym Class would've been like that when I was in school.  

7:22am: Writer's Block: Art imitating life

The Godfather, Tuesdays with Morrie, Rocky, Office Space, Wayne's World, The Expendables, and Alice Cooper's Theatre of Death DVD :)

I know it's too many, but that would about cover us Earthlings, I think :)

2:53pm: See my lonely life explode when I go insane...

I'm sitting in the Man Lair with the laptop, a cup of coffee next to me, and the Alice Cooper DVD Theatre Of Death on the TV. April was kind enough (after some begging on my part) to give me an early Christmas present last night. The DVD is awesome - Alice is still the most entertaining showman in rock & roll. His voice is extremely rough these days, but I was warned about this when reading a blog by icubud  earlier this fall. Still, watching the show reminds me of the great times I've had at Alice's shows over the years, and of how great his music is. Also, when we were finishing up our Christmas shopping last night, I found a copy of his underrated classic From The Inside at a used CD store for $7.99, and since it's one of the few I don't have on CD, I had to pick it up. I've had a vinyl copy for years, but I don't have a record player right now, so the CD was absolutely necessary :)  

Our Christmas shopping is done, I believe. We started a couple months ago and stalled, but we're set now. I just have to take the kids one night to get April something yet. With the holiday less than a week away, it makes me marvel at how fast this year has gone by. I am looking forward to Christmas this year, though. It'll be our first as a family, waking up with kids of my own on Christmas morning. They're not going to be spoiled, but they're going to be very happy, I think :) 

I've now been working for eight days straight, and only have three more to go. I volunteered for this weekend to have a bit of spending money for the week between Christmas and New Year. Thankfully, our shop is shutting down and I get a much-needed break. I can hardly wait!

That's about all for now. I came down here to get April's presents wrapped, since I've been slacking on it. I hope you're all well. Take care. 

3:40pm: Writer's Block: Family planning

Adoption. There are too many children who need good homes as it is. April has two kids and I have no problem raising them as mine now, even though they are not biologically mine, and I'd have no problem with adoption.

8:43pm: Writer's Block: MAKE IT STOP!

"For The Longest Time" by Billy Joel. I hate that song. Check that: hate that song, but it's April's favorite song by her favorite artist so I'm stuck listening to it :(

"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" by Elton John & Kiki Dee (sp?). The worst EJ song ever, it brought him down infinitely from introspective singer-songwriter with hordes of talent to pop-crap. Ugh...

1:03pm: I woke up Sunday Mornin' with no way to hold my head that didn't hurt...

No I didn't... that was yesterday. My friend Matt came over Friday night and we had a little too much fun with Guinness and a bottle of Bushmills Irish whiskey - there's none left of either one ;) While we were having a sleep over, April and his wife Wendy went to see The Social Network (I wouldn't be caught dead in a theater to see that) and to try out a new Mexican restaurant. The ladies enjoyed both while we were partaking in fine spirits and excellent cigars.

April has to work this weekend, so yesterday we packed the kids off to Grandma & Grandpa's and I got to have an entire day to myself, enjoying the peace and quiet while I could. It was the first day I've had all to myself since we moved in together. I had dinner cooking for her when she & the kids got home - BBQ chicken, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and peas - and I did a darn good job, if I do say so myself :) Later that night my folks came for a visit, so we sat around drinking coffee and shooting the breeze. I enjoyed haviong them come to my house for a change.

I woke up with the kids this morning (just after 8:30am) and let April sleep (she rose just after 10am). I downed five or six cups of coffee and made them breakfast, and when April got up, she cooked eggs & toast for us. She's such a sweetheart :) They were both pretty well behaved, but little Eli got grumpy so he's down for a nap already, and Madison's in her room reading. She is an excellent reader, and also craves solitary time like I do, so I completely understand where she's coming from.

It's October 17, so Christmas is still over two months away, but I started my shopping online this morning. Awhile ago I lost my Snake Farm album by Ray Wylie Hubbard, so I needed to replace it, and while I was on www.bn.com, I ordered four CDs for Madison as well. It's a small start, but a least I've got the process rolling now. While I love physically going to stores to find gifts for people, I also appreciate how easy e-shopping is, at least when I know exactly what I'm looking for.

That's about all for now. I don't feel like talking about work, and there's not much else going on in my little world, other than the daily goings-on of family life. I hope you're all well. Take care, all.

9:44pm: Writer's Block: Who's your daddy?

Johnny Cash, but only after he got sober, committed himself to his family, and lived his life as a true Christian. Before that he was unfaithful to his first wife, rarely saw his children, consumed hordes of illegal pills and alcohol, and generally made a mess of his life. From 1968 or so onward, he was a whole different person.

8:56am: Writer's Block: Neat, sweet, groovy songs

Keep in mind, by childhood, I refer to pre-teen years. So, it was Elvis, The Beach Boys, and Willie Nelson. Yes, even as a seven year old, I had great taste :) And yes, I'm DEFINITELY still a fan. As an adult, I find greater meaning in their music than I could ever have imagined when I was a child.

11:52am: Still here...

Nine years on and I'll never forget September 11, 2001. I won't go into detail, other than to say I still remember it with extreme clarity. Alan Jackson sang a line in Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning that went, "Did you notice the sunset for the first time in ages?" Yes, I did. I was driving around town that evening - a beautiful, warm late-Sumer evening - and hardly anyone was out. As I drove by Dewey Hill I noticed the reds, yellows, oranges, and pinks of the dusk settling in and wondered what the hell was going on, and how did it happen to our country? Of course, within the week we learned more about who was responsible and how it came to be. Wars have now been waged and thousands of lives have been lost, countries have been taken over and overturned, world leaders killed (some just, some not), and the global political scene has forever been altered. But on that night, for a nineteen year old college student from a small town in the Midwest, the world was full of mystery and hurt and wonder.

Not a lot else to write about. It sounds sad, but things have just been extremely routine this week. I;m not working, so that's a plus. Other than that I have no big plans. April and I might go to the local Eagles club tonight, but that's about it. She and Madison are out shopping with my sister, and I've got a haircut in a little while.

Hope you're all well. Take care.

OH! icubud , I know I promised a Dio retrospective, and it's still on the way. I've actually decided to re-do it, as a 3 disc set, so I'm in the process of coming up with track lists for the two studio discs. I burned the live disc already. It should be out in the mail this coming week. And thanks again for the Thin Lizzy collection. I never realized how much they rocked :)

12:37am: Writer's Block: My Personal Concert

Solo Musician: Guy Clark, hands down.
Band: Motorhead.

10:35am: Where does the time go?

Happy Labor Day, all. Here in GH it has been rainy and damp off-and-on for several days and my sinuses/allergies aren't happy. I'm glad I'm at home with little/nothing to do today. Just a bit of cleaning to be done. It's after 10am and April is still in bed, which is unusual, so on this grey morning, I've got Sinatra playing and a pot of coffee made. The kids are with Grandma, so the place is unusually quiet.

Yesterday, September 5, was One Year for April and I :) We made our relationship official one year ago, and it has been the most amazing year of my life, and we've only just begun. We exchanged gifts; I got her a necklace with two hearts intertwined, and she got me a pipe with some very lovely scented tobacco. I've had the desire to try smoking a pipe, and not just cigars, for some time, so it was a perfect gift. She also compiled all of our e-mails from the last year and printed them out, which is the sweetest gift I've ever received :) I love her more everyday, and I'm excited to see what life has in store for us.

Yesterday was a great day all day. We'd had friends over the night before, and my sister stayed the night. She woke up with Elijah so we could sleep in and then she went and bought us all McDonald's for breakfast; I had coffee on my back porch with my friend Domingo (who also stayed the night); April and I got some shopping done and dropped Eli off with Grandma; we went to the Olive Garden and had a delicious dinner; saw The Expendables, which kicked serious a-- and was way better than I expected; then came home and had our friends Matt and Wendy over for drinks; then called it a night and fell asleep in each others' arms. Yep, a darn good day :)

Not a lot else is going on. We're all just getting used to living together (April, te kids, and me), trying to get settled in. Things are going well on that account, so I'm happy. Work at the Musical Fountain ends this month, with tonight being the last regularly scheduled show. It will run on the next three Fridays and Saturdays, then it is over. It's hard to believe I've been working the Fountain for 10 years now. Work is more disheartening than ever, but I'll save that for another post. I'm trying to keep things positive here today :)

I hope you're all doing well. Take care.

9:15am: What's good for you is good for me...

So I have completely neglected LJ for the last couple weeks, and the internet in general since last week. It hasn't been intentional, but with the move, I just haven't had the time or urge to sit down and write a blog here. Please don't think I've done this on purpose.

April and I are officially in our new place. We started moving at 5pm last Friday and were (mostly) done by Sunday afternoon. I still have a few things at my parents' house to retrieve, but all the essentials are here, including my clothes, bills, food, assorted knick-knacks, and the two most important things: my coffee and my music collection :) Once we take some pictures I will try to post them. It's exciting to be taking the next BIG step in our lives together. We love the place and so do the kids. Madison LOVES having her own room, and I have a Man Lair that I'm setting up in the basement. So far I have my CDs and stereo, DVD/video collection, and a poster of Sean Connery up down there. Once I've got everything set up and put away, I'll be very happy indeed. I still need to work on getting my books over here, but I took enough to get by on until I can do that.  

Work is... work. They are still talking of moving to swing shifts, but that was supposed to have taken effect by the end of August. It's now September and nothing has happened yet. Surprise. This company has NO clue what it is doing, so why should we employees expect any sort of courtesy or stability out of them, and have them keep us in the loop? :(

Other than the move, nothing else has been going on. I hope you're all well. Take care.

P.S. - a BIG thanks to icubud  for the CDs in the mail. Thin Lizzy is a group I always meant to listen to more but never quite seemed to get around to. Now I have the opportunity :)

7:49pm: Exciting times in my life...

As promised, a few details about the move:

April's lease is up at the end of August. We had pretty much decided we'd try to move in together once that happened, but not before. Partly it is because of the idea of not rushing things; we will be together for a year on Sept. 5, so by the time we get a place, we'll have had a substantial amount of time getting to know - and finding out about - one another. The other part is because her apartment is too small for the four of us (her, me, and two young ones). I HATE the complex she's living in, and she's not fond of it, either. There is no privacy for ourselves, and the walls of the buildings are so thin that no one has privacy in the entire place.

We decided we needed a three bedroom place so that the kids can have their own rooms. We shopped around a little bit, and found a great place right downtown in Grand Haven. It has the three bedrooms, and a basement so I can have my "Man Lair" :) There is also a back patio and raised porch with lawn furniture and a grill, and we plan on entertaining guests whenever we can. The rent isn't much more than the aprtment she's in and it's in an ideal location. We had a bit of trouble getting it, as the rental agency the landlords used didn't have its act together, and it took way longer than it should have. But after a 2-3 week ordeal, we got the place. We met the owners, who really liked us and told the rental agency they wanted us to have the place, which I'm sure helped.  

So that's the gist of it. We're in a good place in our relationship, and the family unit is solidifying more everyday. I'm nervous and excited and looking forward to opening a new chapter not only between April and I, but in my life as well. It is the most radical change I've had in over a decade and I'm feeling good about it. We get the keys to the place this coming Friday and can begin the arduous task of moving all of her belongings in ASAP. Thankfully, there isn't a rush on my stuff, except the books and music collection, of course ;)

I hope you're all well. I'll try and update again soon. Take care. 

7:37pm: Writer's Block: Money ain’t a thing

A new laptop on which to keep my entire music collection, and an iPod big enough to hold it all, though I doubt that exists. I'd need at least a 120G iPod. :)

11:17am: Writer's Block: It's allergies ... really!

An argument I had with a loved one.

9:08am: BIG NEWS
Hi All,
I'll give the details in the next post, since I don't have a lot of time this morning. But I thought I'd let everyone know that April & I officially have our first place together! We signed the lease and paid the security deposit yesterday and can be in by the end of next week. It's a nice place here in GH, right near Downtown on Clinton Street. Like I said, more to come on it later. How exciting :)

4:09pm: Writer's Block: Comfortably numb

Several:

- Panera Bread (or various other coffee shops over the years), with a good book, my Zune or iPod, and plenty of coffee.

- My Basement, which has been a sanctuary for 13 years now. Stereo, TV/Movies, and computer, and lots of good times with friends. April and I will soon have our first place together, and it has a basement, also, which she's said I can have control of. God bless her :)

- Walking the GH beach late at night. Very peaceful and not a lot of people around.

- Anywhere I can smoke a cigar and have a coffee (or something stronger) in peace.

9:17am: Nothing to see here, folks, move along...

I'm sitting here, just after 9am on a Sunday morning, with Coffee #3 close by and some old Count Basie jazz music playing (from the 1930s). I told April I'd get up with the kids this morning, and Elijah awoke early. I first heard him at 7:46am, which is when I got up. Madison is still in bed as I begin to type this.

This week has leaned more toward the mundane than the exciting, with one notable exception: it is Coast Guard week here in Grand Haven, so we took Madison to the carnival on Wednesday. My folks, April, and myself all had a blast watching her going on rides, eating cotton candy, and playing silly (and expensive) games. I even went on the bumper cars with her, where I taught her how to smash into other cars :) Though a bit costly to the wallet, it was completely worth it.

We went to see The Other Guys on Friday. April loves Will Ferrell but I don't, so she enjoyed it much more than I did. I thought it was okay. I'll admit it was better than I thought it would be, and I did laugh more than I thought I would, too.

I took a day off work Friday. I didn't sleep in, but I did have a relaxing morning. Took the beagle for a walk, drank lots of coffee, and got a bunch of stuff done around the house. That afternoon, April and I went and filled out paperwork for a place we're hoping to rent. We're taking the plunge and looking for our first place together, which is both nerve-wrecking and exciting for me. Every now and then it hits me: I'm in this for the long haul. But that's okay. I'm with a great woman and I'm looking forward to spending my life with her, helping raise her two beautiful kids, and growing old together.

That's about all for now. I hope you're doing well. Take care.

9:45am: Writer's Block: Walkin' the line

ALWAYS the bad cop - it's more fun :)

9:44am: Writer's Block: Celebrity Overload

They're all celebrities for the wrong reasons now: they cause trouble or get famous for their looks. The decent actors/musicians/performers/celebrities/etc. who keep to themselves and stay out of trouble are rarely seen on TV. So, for the ones on all the "news" shows and tabloids, I'd say I'm sick of every damn one of 'em!

I'd like to see more of the everyday people who became celebrities. Famous folks like Morgan Freeman who owns a blues club in Mississippi and gives time and effort to charities all over the world; Paul Newman (RIP), whose food product line has raised millions for helping children; or hordes of others who have done more good for the world than bad.

11:29am: It isn't really August already, is it?!

I'm sitting here on a Sunday morning, with coffee close by, finally updating this thing again.

I can hardly believe the year has gone by so quickly. Seven months have flown by, and my life has seemed like a whirlwind thus far. Much of it has to do with my relationship with April, I think. We've had our ups and downs, to be sure, but overall it is such a great thing being with her. Since our engagement earlier this year, time has seemed to fly by. Trying to plan a wedding and officially get our life together started have only made time more important. Every day we grow more and more like a family (April, myself, and her two beautiful kids), and that's a great feeling.

We've got a lot planned for our wedding next Spring already: reception hall, DJ, catering, bartending, and a potential photographer (a co-worker of mine). We've got our invitations picked out and just need to order them, and April is going with my Mom and sister next week to start picking out flowers. AND! We're looking for a place to move into as a family. She's got to be out of her apartment at the end of this month, so we've been looking at houses lately that we can share. We'll have been together just over a year by the time we move in together, and I'm glad, for the same reason we're not getting married until next Spring: I don't want to rush things. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this is the life I want to lead, but there's no need to be hasty. I think this course of action has been a wise move, since we're getting to know about one another over the course of time, rather than hurrying things and then finding out the negative aspects of each other later on. We've both been totally honest and open about ourselves and not hidden anything, and I think that's really healthy for our relationship.   

The kids were gone yesterday so we went to Grand Rapids for the day. We ate at Ruby Tuesday's (excellent burgers), and then the Krispy Kreme shop, where the best doughnuts around are found :) We then hit the Barnes & Noble and the Woodland Mall. We also went to World Market where I bought some of their delicious coffee (Italian Roast, which I'm grinding up later, and the Mocha Java blend) and some import beer. We went to Schuler Books, and finally The Corner Record Shop in Grandville. We had dinner at Adobe in Allendale, then came back to Grand Haven. We went out with our dear friends Matt & Wendy, who came back to the apartment for a nightcap, and thus ended a wonderful day.

I got a lot of music yesterday. I hadn't been on a music-buying binge in awhile, and though my wallet hurt a bit, it was worth it :) I picked up Blackwater and Lochloosa by JJ Grey and Mofro, whom we saw open for Buddy Guy a couple months ago. They're a mixture of rock, blues, soul, and swamp music, and are really interesting. I also got Where The Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein; The Times They Are A-Changin' by Bob Dylan; Sad Wings Of Destiny by Judas Priest; Harp Attack! on vinyl record by James Cotton, Junior Wells, Carey Bell, and Billy Branch (I have it on CD, but vinyl is just plain cool, and I've always thought so); and an outstanding new blues album, Joined At The Hip by Pinetop Perkins and Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith. Both are alumni of the Muddy Waters band, and it is the most solid Chicago-blues album I've heard in ages. It is a must for any blues fan, and it might well be the last album they ever do. Willie is 74, and Pinetop is 96, so enjoy what they're doing while you can! 

icubud  might be most interested in the rest of what I bought. I picked up a used copy of The Eyes Of Alice Cooper (one of the few missing from my collection) for $4, a used copy of Hey Stoopid (I have it on tape, but wanted a CD copy of it), and vinyl copies of Special Forces, Zipper Catches Skin, and DaDa. I think those last three were the most exciting finds of the day! :) 

Other than that I don't have a lot to talk about. Work hasn't changed, other than being hotter than the dickens in there, so I won't rant on about it. Life is rolling along steadily and mostly well.

I hope you're all well. Take care.

 

10:42am: Somedays you write the song...
...Somedays the song writes you. I'm listening to Guy Clark's 2009 masterpiece "Somedays The Song Writes You". I did have Iron Maiden on earlier, but all of a sudden I felt the need for something more peaceful. While I love Maiden, it was a bit heavy for my mood :) I'm having a bit of QT, which I've had a fair bit of this week. Getting the week off for our company's shut-down has been one of the best things to happen to me in ages. The only problem is that, while others are celebrating the fact that today is Friday, I'm dreading having my mini-vacation come to an end. Seven days have flown by. But as soon as I'm done making this post, I'm probably going to make some more coffee, light a cigar, and sit out in the garage with some blues music on the stereo and read a bit.

I've been having headaches off and on (more on than off) for nearly two weeks due to the weather. It's been so ridiculously humid and hot that my body is reacting badly. And the constant going from hot to cold (any place with air-conditioning, especially April's apartment) has really screwed my system up. I have always favored summer, but I think I now prefer Spring and Early Fall, when the temperatures are mellower.

The social atmosphere in downtown Grand Haven is getting more hectic everyday, with the annual Coast Guard Festival rapidly approaching. The Saturday of fireworks, 200,000 to 300,000 people overrun our peaceful little town and make a mess of the place. I used to enjoy it when I was younger, but now I have contempt for the crowds, with their pushy attitudes and arrogant demeanors. All 200,000 people seem to think the show and the night revolves around them, and I really can't stand that kind of atmosphere. I've promised April I'd take her and the kids to the carnival one night, probably the first day it's open, but I'll have nothing to do with fireworks night.

A few days ago I picked up the album Twistable, Turnable Man: A Musical Tribute To The Songs Of Shel Silverstein. April pointed it out to me a week or two ago when we took Madison to Holland with us and we were in the Barnes & Noble there. Maddie has a few of his children's books and poetry collections, but he was also an amazing songwriter, and though I think of few of his best are not covered. it is an outstanding album. Bobby Bare produced it and played a song, along with great artists like Kris Kristofferson, Lucinda Williams, Bobby Bare, Jr., Nancy Griffeth, Ray Price, My Morning Jacket, and a host of others (some of whom, I admit, I'd never heard of). Ranging from heart-warming to silly, heart-wrenching to the absurd, it is as good a collection of songs as you'll find anywhere.

April and I are doing fairly well. We've had a couple minor disagreements in the last couple weeks, but nothing serious. Overall we get along very well, and people often comment on that fact. One friend even said, "You guys are just too damn cute together." We are always sending kind e-mails, or leaving sweet little comments on each other's Facebook pages, or being outwardly affectionate toward one another. She's the love of my life and I want everyone to know it, so I'm glad when people notice :)

That's about all for now. I hope you're all well. Take care.

9:29am: Writer's Block: It’s the Little Things…

No, I don't, and I probably don't want to know :)

I've gotten MUCH better about unnecessary spending, but there are still several indulgences. "Gourmet" coffee, so to speak, in the sense that it's not bottom-shelf crap like Folger's or Maxwell House. I recommend Wolfgang Puck's blends, particularly the Vienna Roast, and it's quite inexpensive compared to other brands.

I still buy more CDs than I need, but have drastically cut back. I might buy 6 or 7  a month, where it used to be 4 or 5 per week. (Okay, okay, this month has been bad, since I've bought more than I've needed, but overall... ;)

And although I love buying books, I've finally settled into the routine of trying to read what I have before I get too many more. My bookshelves are full of wonderful literature, both fiction and non, that I have yet to get to.  However, if a new book by a favorite author is out, or something good is recommended to me, I might search it out. What is the mystery series you're reading, icubud ?

9:21am: Writer's Block: Internet Influence

No. We're rewiring our brains around it. People lived for millenia without it and could do so again, but it's become so much a part of our lives that people think they cannot go without it. I did for over a month a couple years ago and it was one of the most liberating experiences I've ever had.