Raynews. She now has two teeth. She can stand on her own for five seconds at a time, but she doesn’t try to walk yet. She can nest dishes inside each other. We took her to her nine-month doctor’s appointment on Thursday. She may not eat whatever she wants, although not to the point where […]

Park.Lee and Joe and Ray and I went to the park. We each had our separate picanic lunches (Ray got a couple of funny looks when she had hers), fed old bread to the ducks, and played on the playground equipment. Playing on the playground equipment was mostly Ray and myself, of course, the guys

Review. Five Novels, by Daniel Pinkwater. Not much needs to be said about Slaves of Spiegel, Young Adult Novel, The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars, and The Last Guru, because you can say it like this: “Daniel Pinkwater writes Tim Robbins novels for kids.” I wish I’d

What’s the word? Have you ever noticed the particular moment when you’re just over it? Whatever it is? I don’t know if anybody’s noticed, but the last two years have been rough.* I tend to keep a straight face for everybody but family — a grand midwestern tradition, I think. Anyway, I had a couple

Up? Things may be getting a little better. Lee’s finally been offered a full-time job at Best Buy, supposedly with raise. And I’m finally done paying off the maternity leave (they decided that I hadn’t been working there long enough to get the full, full-time benefits, so they…took it back). So we may be able

Review.I’m getting behind. I’ve read a bunch o’ good books lately. Don’t Ask, by Donald Westlake. I don’t know if this is the real story, but this is what I imagine: Donald Westlake mails his M.S. into his agent, without a title. The agent opens the box, calls Westlake, and says, “Well, Donnie (you don’t

More than you needed to know. This could be…well, it’s about writing, but it’s also about sex. You decide. Let’s start with the premise that not all porn is the same. There are as many different types of porn as there are different types of sex. Of course, most people gravitate to a few certain

Rejections update. “Name of the Feather” is finally back from Ellery Queen. Just when you’re about to a) give up hope or b) hope you’ve made some kind of cut and they’ll at least give you a personal note from a big house…nope.

Tact. Tact is frustrating. I’d much rather say what I think or keep my mouth shut. I have a friend in a situation I doubt will turn out for the best. Fine. Mouth shut. I think he’ll survive the whole thing. But if he asks what I think about it, I’m going to have to

Bored? This is me, blathering about work. You can skip it. This last week at work has been one long episode of deja vu from high school. They call it a training class, but really it’s just a roomful of smartasses staring at a markerboard in the front of the room. The question/answer sessions were