Sorry for the hiatus. There is much to tell. Since my last post, I began my fall semester at CSULB—my LAST semester in the MFA program. I’m taking two courses—an American poetry course and a poetics (theory) course—and teaching one section of composition and working part-time as a grad-assistant in the composition department. It’s such a nice, perfect workload. Anyway, my thesis is all turned in and complete, and I’m starting to think about what to do next. Please comment with your suggestions, because I have NO IDEA RIGHT NOW.

We had an awesome visit from Bridget and Dave, who were out here to vacation in San Diego. They bookended their trip with a few nights at No. 6. This visit found them adorably anticipatory about their new puppy, whom they adopted officially upon their return to Pittsburgh. How fucking cute is this puppy!

In our own pet realm, Linus had to have some surgery to remove two little knobs on his left flank and bib. They were tumors but not the inside-kind, so it only bodes in any way for further outside-kind of tumors, which we will watch for. It means his wearing a cone. Which means our sleeping with a cone. Which means our not sleeping. Those of you who know Linus know how he MUST BE PET AT ALL TIMES. The cone gets in his way, but he doesn’t exactly “accept” this. He JUST KEEPS TRYING. Trying to rub his gums on Steve’s chin. Trying to lick our faces. Trying to snuggle while asphyxiating us. Trying NOT TO SLEEP while it is dark. The result for us is a pattern of near-sleep followed by the rude wake-up of a cone conked into the forehead. Or chin. Or eye. Shut him out, you say? Yeah, YOU try telling your sad, Frankenstein-stitched, cone-headed little friend he has to sleep downstairs when his one greatest joy in life is making you miserable all night long. You are made of stone.

OK, time to write a paper now. Here are some belated photos of Hawaii and my visit to the Grands’ house in Michigan.