Among the many reasons why it is hard to write these days I must include that the cat actively attempts to interfere with any attempt on my part to use the computer on my desk. She begins by hiding behind the flat screen monitor and periodically swipes her paw at my fingers as I type. After I get frustrated by this and stand-up to get her to follow me away from the computer she will then reseat herself in front of the keyboard in order to block me from resting my hands in the typing position. If I manage to brush her away from this position she will then walk across the keyboard itself in hopes of clicking on a key that will permanently lock the computer in an awful funk like running in Norwegian mode or setting off control keys that show strange symbols for paragraphs while using MSWord. Luckily she appears to be at rest for the evening at the moment and I have been spared the routine. Otherwise this would never have made it out.

The baby on the other hand offers a different form of interference. Basically I have come to the conclusion that if you have a life and a hobby and then you become a parent you will need to choose from among the following options. A – Sleep, B – Doing a hobby. When you no longer have time for sleep this generally means that you will also have no time for playing poker on Friday nights, working out three days a week, writing a blog, creating nify nick-nacks out of pine cones, and other such nonsense. The challenge is simply that a baby is not a fully capable person able to do things like eat, clean, use the toilet, entertain themselves, or play poker on Fridays. Because of these challenges you can’t leave them alone. They have funny hours that they keep for their day including sleeping at 8PM and waking-up at 6AM. This means that you have to be home a few hours before 8PM, like 6PM and awake at 6AM. Doing some simple math on the free hours. If you work from 9 AM to 5PM this basically leaves you with the drive home and the bleary hour or two you have to feed the baby in the morning and then figure out who will care for her while you are at work as your extra time. You also have the hour and a half of time after she sleeps to squander at your leisure only to wish you had spent it sleeping the night before. If you work an hour or two later in the day then it leaves you with nothing in terms of spare time. So this is the more likely reason for not producing anything in writing on a regular basis. It means that information needs to be condensed into forms like haiku. For example here is a brief passage recalling key events from the trip that Jeremy and I took to Vegas.

Circus Circus Vegas for kids with women in lobby giving birth to more kids. Chinese taxi driver – ‘you want to get raid?’. TI club good. Dancing with Nebraskan woman 6’4”. Stripper tells story of popping eyeball out with long heel and coroner’s office job. Jeremy recognizes porn producer at club. Old Vegas – Freemont street experience during the day is mainly looking at a bunch of crack dealers. Old casinos have $2 blackjack. Win money but watch wives gamble their wedding rings. Hard not to look at just the stage during ‘O’. Mayors convention in town meeting mayors. Rio floor no good to dance on because of beer glue. Too many grinding dudes on floor. Next time go to Rio roof bar not dance club.