things I haven't blogged about because of Clara

1. Frey on Oprah looking like he was run over by a steamroller. Oprah saying to Frey, after a commercial break, "I know you were probably joking when you asked if there was a gun backstage, but [puts her hand on his knee] it's really not that bad."

2. Reading Jo Ann Beard's collection of autobiographical stories, The Boys of My Youth. Holy shit. Good stuff.

3. Ordering a table and chairs set from Ikea and the item name is Jokkmokk. Say that with me now. Jokkmokk. Imagine the Scrabble points on that one.

4. The ugliest dog in the world showing up at the dog park wearing the same lime green collar that Belly wears. Switching to blue because Nan gave us Molly's old collar. Belly shall not be in any category that includes the ugliest dog in the world.

5. Brokeback Mountain finally making it to central Illinois. The plan is to go with the Wonka on Friday night.

6. Giving myself the entire week off from writing--well this is because of Clara, but hey, it's big.

7. Telling my rhetoric students I'm going to write an article about bullshit and then, a week later, one of them asking how it's coming along. Um, I'm not even starting that until March.

8. Turning down a request to have my photo appear in the university's glossy faculty report--because of the CE essay. Realizing that I never leave home without my issues.

9. Worrying that this year is going to be trouble, that perhaps Clara is some kind of metaphor for my life.