Giving The Finger -- New Interpretation

Down below you'll see my right index finger, such as it is. I took this shot while sitting inside the press box at Minute Maid Park in Houston -- formerly known as Enron Field before that company went belly up. Did you know that Houston is the nation's fourth largest city by population? Folks here in Houston are very sensitive about the distinction. But, after New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago, does fourth matter?

Anyway, the finger is kind of damaged at the moment. What happened was that I spent a few days with J.G. before heading to Houston, and she had me repair a dislodged screen on her porch. No big deal. I've done it a bunch of times. You need spline and a splining tool is all. Except what I didn't know is that they've shifted to "flat" spline -- as opposed to "round" -- when I was sleeping or something. At any rate, I had the darndest time trying to work in the flat spline, and this is the result. It's an outdoor carpet burn. Nothing major. Looks worse than it feels. But I got the job done.


TODAY'S CATCH -- Don't normally buy new hardbacks, but couldn't resist Pynchon's latest, Inherent Vice. Love him or hate him, the guy's a master.