more news of the word

I mentioned our driving trip to LA. I didn't mention another one up to wine country for a family Easter at niece T's hidden vacation house, which we've seen before, and now I know how to find it in the unmarked crannies where it lies. Nephews L and the rarely-seen M, now uncles themselves, were there, and played with their nephews so we didn't have to wear ourselves out. Also visited and stayed over at B's sister G's new vacation home nearby, which we hadn't seen before because it's newly acquired. Reiterated that a Nook Color is a great device for reading when I wake up in the middle of the night in a guest room and don't want to turn the light on. Left with sufficient leftovers that I still have some. I ate all the leftover turkey skin before anyone else could get to it; I was a bad boy.

I finished that giant bibliography I mentioned and sent it out for review by other hands. Deep silence so far, but everyone's busy, as am I.

After having Pippin's teeth cleaned, I had my own teeth cleaned. Nothing special about that, except that the dentist wants to keep a record of what medication I'm taking, and this time I had to write it down.

Hopeful trips up to the City for various reasons. Stopped at Borderlands in hopes of finding Alan Garner's UK-published-only but available-in-the-US Boneland (almost wrote "Borderlands" again), which the Other Change had been out of. Not on shelf. On inquiry, junior clerk said, flatly, "It's not in our database" as if implying something between "And I don't care" and "No such book has ever existed; you're hallucinating it." Inquiry as to what database this was produced only a repeated emphasis that it wasn't in it. This is not how to behave if you want to sell books. Jude came to my rescue, found and special-ordered it; I could have done this via Amazon or B&N at home, but I want to support my local bookstore. I don't want them to make me regret doing it.

Nearer home, fortunately, hit my car against a high curb. Now I have to replace both the tire and the wheel rim, or whatever it's called. Not good news.

Dinner out at Bella Vita, nice local Italian place. Any special reason?