January 12-17, 2009:

Getting ready for a big trip often means that writing takes a back seat to arrangements. (Laundry, packing, lists, bills, cleaning out fridge, stacking piles of things to do on return.) Add to this getting an absentee ballot for the Massachusetts senatorial race to fill Kennedy's seat, bringing soup to a sick friend, going to the movies ("Avatar" again), dinner with Heidi and Maddison, check over and fiddle with speeches, make sure someone will be picking me up at the airport, meeting with...