It happened again, and I hate it when it happens. I had what I thought was a pretty good idea for a fairly humorous post. I should have known after the first five minutes that the damned thing was just not writing right. I suspect you know the feeling.
I plugged on for about a page and a half and finally asked myself the hard but critical question: “If you came across this on someone else’s blog, would you bother reading past the first few sentences?†The answer was a resounding albeit uncomfortable “No.†So, rather than deleting it, I relegated it to my hard drive for perhaps another look-see at some other time.
Perhaps my abortive writing attempt was, in part, traceable to my dealing with a painful infection (I’ll spare you the details) that currently prevents me from sitting at this computer for too much time. I am, however, on the mend, thanks to the wonders of antibiotics in mondo doses.
All I can muster at the moment are a couple random, and quite likely very dull observations:
Janet Evanovich. I just finished the ninth in her Stephanie Plum series, “To the Nines.†(Each book contains the appropriate number in the title.) The main character is a hapless, sometimes dizzy, generally inept bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum, who along with a hilarious cast of characters runs around Trenton, New Jersey chasing down bail jumpers. If you find yourself in the need for some easy reading, full of Jersey flavor and lots and lots of laughs, I recommend that you start with number one (“One for the Moneyâ€) and work your way up to “To the Nines.†Her website is here.
Carnivale. I have become hooked on HBO’s new series, “Carnivale.†It is set in 1934 in the Dust Bowl, and centers on a traveling carnival, chock full of weird “carny†types, each of whom is sorely in need of a bath. The creators of the show have successfully captured the dirt, despair, and desperation of the time and place, and they have added to it a layer of mysteriousness that I haven’t seen since “Twin Peaks.†You can read about the show at HBO’s home page.
Diet Dr. Pepper. Quite possibly the best diet soda ever.
Kraft Pre-Shredded Cheddar. It comes in a zip-loc bag. One of great ideas of all time.
Baker’s 107 Proof Bourbon. It is made in small batches and aged for seven years. Each bottle is hand filled. Drink it neat. Who needs Valium?
Simon and Garfunkle. Impossible to get tickets, and I really wanted to see the Everly Brothers, their opening act, even more than I wanted to see S&G. Damn.
That’s it. Back to the couch.
