I’ve arrived later than usual, on purpose and on accident. I’d been
aiming for 6:30, half an hour after the diner opens, on the theory that
the early-risers have finished their breakfasts and there’ll be less
competition for the prime stools ate the counter. … [read more]

Harvey nods at me when I walk in, so it’s going to be breakfast
without Kirstin. Sigh. That means no jam for my toast, fewer refills on
coffee, no specials that aren’t on the menu, and no charming chit-chat. … [read more]

Ah, dadgummit. When I come to the diner this early, there should be
plenty of empty seats, and there are — every table is empty — but men
are sitting on stools all along the counter. … [read more]

There are half a dozen customers in the diner when I arrive. The
Fixture is not one of them, again. He was always at the front corner
stool, and now he’s always not. … [read more]

Pushing the door open, I step inside. Kirstin sees me and smiles and
says hello. Harvey hollers, “Hey, Chief,” from the kitchen, and he must
be in a damn good mood or high, because that’s the warmest greeting he’s
ever given me. … [read more]

I’m ensconced on my preferred stool at the diner, which is a special
treat indeed. Usually I settle for my third or fourth favorite stool,
because someone’s already claimed my most beloved perch, or someone’s
sitting too close to it. … [read more]

click to engorge

R Cobb was my favorite cartoonist from the radical era, the 1960s and ’70s. I’m not quite old enough to have appreciated his work when it was freshly inked, but I stumbled across a collection of his comics in the ’80s, and it helped percolate me into whatever it is I’ve become. … [read more]

Our cat Minky was the first non-reptile pet Stephanie ever had, and Steph and the cat really hit it off. When Minky was a kitten, Steph was fascinated with her, and the fascination never faded. … [read more]

Part 1: Toby          Part 2: Minky

After we’d moved to Madison and found our apartment, the same day we finished moving in, we went to the local Humane Society to adopt a cat. … [read more]

Part 1: Toby          Part 2: Minky

When Stephanie was a child, she never had a pet. Well, she had an iguana for a while, but reptiles barely count as pets, and Steph said she never felt a bond with the iguana. … [read more]