Our upstairs neighbors, affectionately known as "The Stompers," have been strangely silent for over two weeks now. Lately the respite between stompings seems to have lengthened. It's almost as if they are trying to make us prematurely nostalgic for our beloved neighborhood. You know, the old stompers aren't so bad! They've only lived over us for something less than six months, out of the 14 years we've been here (technically, I've been here for 14... Theresa joining me for the last 12). But now we're moving on. I've received a particular honor that will require us to leave the neighborhood, the city, the state. I've known about it for several days. I'm working up the nerve to "blog" about it. Maybe tomorrow. The trouble is, the "blog" seems to me an undignified forum from which to relate this very flattering and rather huge honor. My "blog" is one part crass commercialism and one part labored yet slapdash buffoonery. Besides, the honor I have been granted involves my writing. And as I hope I have made clear, I do not want anyone to confuse my "blog" writing with my "other" writing... yes, what I should call my "serious" writing despite (because of?) the fact that it is sometimes designed to make people laugh. Okay. I've said too much. More tomorrow. (Pictured, "Stomper," the mascot of Minnesota State University Mankato. He lives in the apartment over us, we suspect! By the way, did you know that MSU Mankato was the first public college in the US to be headed by a woman? It's true! Thanks, Wikipedia!)
