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The three-year-old has been showing some real independent thinking lately.  Sigh.

The other morning she wanted to go outside before finishing her breakfast and/or getting dressed.  The situation, umm, escalated.  So I tried to employ the ol’ “choices” ruse.  When I gave her the options, she said, “Those are NOT. GOOD. CHOICES!“  (She was basically correct.)  Then she flung her undies and said, “My choice is to go outside!”

It was one of those moments when you wish all those soothing child behavior experts you hear on NPR (and get emails from, trust me) could be present to test their theses.  Because I reckon that when it was all over, they too would plant her on the stairs for a moment of reflection.  And then get ear plugs.

Later in the day, she is in the office with me.  Requests scrap paper and colored highlighters.  I’m happy to provide.  It’s fun to be typing while she’s scribbling away.  She requests a yellow highlighter, a blue highlighter, a green highlighter, and a pink highlighter.

“I only have a yellow highlighter,” I say.

She looks at me quizzically, then says, “But that’s not a good plan…to have only one?”

When she’s 18, I’ll be 60.  I’m going with the theory that she will keep me young.  Right now, I need a nap.

See you in the tent!

Driving up north (yep, even when you live in Wisconsin there’s an Up North) (Up Nort) to the big blue tent.  Will be joining the Big Top Chautauqua cast and crew to rehearse the skits, humor, and music scheduled for tomorrow night’s Bally Hoo Haw!

I’m eager and nervous at the same time.  Been a long while since I had to know my lines.  But I’m also eager to get into character.  I’m doing some fun silliness.

So.  Until further notice, I’ll be in my dressing room.

I was signing books at the Kickapoo Country Fair when a woman handed me a copy of Population 485 that had been signed by Don Majkowski.  Apparently she had met him at a football camp earlier in the week and she had him autograph the only thing handy, which was a copy of my book.  She was a little apologetic, but I thought it was terrific.

I still remember the excitement of watching the “Majik-Man” play, blonde mullet and all.  In the midst of some grim doldrum years for the Pack, Majkowski gave us hope, and he beat the Bears in an especially delicious way.

Then he got hurt.  Then he came back.  Then, on September 20, 1992, he injured his ankle during a game against the Bengals and was replaced by a new kid named Brett Favre.*

So.  If you see Don Majkowski, please tell him I don’t mind him signing my books as long as he doesn’t mind me signing his footballs.

*Sadly, after serving as the Packers starting quarterback for 16 consecutive seasons and setting nearly every record extant, in 2008 Favre abruptly and mysteriously disappeared, never to be heard from again.

Just in the door from the Kickapoo Country Fair, where I read in the Word Tent, and played a blistering hot (because of the sun, not my guitar-picking) set of music with the Long Beds.  Thank you, thank you to all who showed up.  Great fun and friendly folk at every turn.

An especially big organic thank you to Dane and the Organic Valley crew and volunteers.  The effort they put into this is prodigious, and we got to do the fun part.

And thanks to Charlene, who snapped and posted a couple of pics from the Word Tent.  And the Long Beds show.

Oh, and howdy to all the ladies on stilts…