HAD LUNCH with the usual Boston lunch gang: Kellnerin, iGrrrl, toxicfur, ad hoc. Missed joh3n, who's only occasionally graced us with his pr3sence, and who (we've inferred) will be moving away late in the summer. Turn up, d00d.

Was fun, as always. Lots of interesting conversation; book exchange; buffet line largely devoid of food. Afterwards toxicfur and ad hoc went southward, shopping. I'll let them tell the tale.

IT'S BEEN a long week. Couple of weeks. And still I miss the puppy. Not every moment of every day, any more, and I kinda feel guilty about that, too. I know, in my head, that we did the right thing, that trying to pick up what was left would not be pretty, and it was time. The mud room always seems very empty when I come home and there's no dog there, offering me a toy.

I'D WRITE MORE only there seem to be no thoughts of any consequence in my head. I wrote an Ed Hulver story a couple days ago. Something like halfway through I looked up, did a word count, said to myself "this is not going anyplace good" and reimmersed myself. Dunno if I'll just post the sucker or try to rewrite.