Progress?

The log-jam is breaking on my current story, or at least I think so. I quit tinkering with the first paragraph last week. I may even decide that the second one is okay soon. Only — um, (switches away to check) lots more paragraphs to go! I’m still going to finish it by the end […]

Cloudy with very little chance of eclipse

This is why I don’t expect to see the total lunar eclipse coming up Monday night. Cloudy skies. The cold weather doesn’t have anything to do with why I won’t go out in the middle of the night to look for it. No. Nor does having to stay up past 1 am. Nope. I blame […]

Re: Medium Raw

I like Anthony Bourdain, but for about a week, it seemed like he was turning up on just about every show I listen to for an interview about his latest book, Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook. His rant about the wisdom (or lack thereof) of […]

Re: The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet

I liked the look of The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet, by Reif Larsen from the moment I first saw it. The book itself is a beautiful production. There’s illustrations on most pages, as well as end-papers and covers, wonderful ink drawings filled with commentary and wit. Even better, nearly every page has further excursions […]

Is the book stack stuck?

Doesn’t look to me like the book stack has changed much. I even cheated by putting a book I just finished reading on the stack, to tease you. I guess I’m more interested in listening to Beethoven than reading right now.

Drinky birds

This is the view out my window, for a little while, after I pour a kettle of hot water into the dish.

Tofu with bok choy and straw mushrooms

This is one of my go-to dishes. I don’t even remember where I got this combination, but it’s quick. You can make it while the rice cooker is going. And if you’re the sort of person who will eat tofu, I’m guessing you have a rice cooker. You probably have a wok too, but I […]

Getting near the end

I wish I was getting near the end of the story I’m currently working on, the crazy one, the one about the end of the world. And a flying pig. It’s been fun to play with it and think about it, and baffling to have it toy with me. For all I know, the story […]

Cold customers

The cold snap has melted, but there’s some still greenery in the garden. The snapdragons are looking a bit water-logged, but they’re standing up to the rain. With flowers even. Scallions are on the march. And the collards looked a bit lumpen this morning, but perked up by the afternoon. These guys can really tough […]

This is just too weird

There’s a story in Science News about brainlike properties in plant roots. There’s zillions of tendrils that connect with each other. They communicate chemically, and maybe even electrically. The article is vague about how exactly plants demonstrate behavior, but it’s more than speculation. I’ve seen what it’s talking about when digging up the evil Black […]