Quote of the Day: How I Met Your Mother

"When you date someone it's like you're taking a class in them and when you break up it's like all that knowledge is useless. It's the emotional equivalent of an English degree." I normally don't quote TV shows but this one was too good to pass up. It's true on so many levels. I know so many facts I don't care about any more about girls I used to like that I could practically write a book or offer a course to their current boyfriends or boyfriend hopefuls. Sometimes being a details guy can be a curse. Luckily, I can can combine my useless knowledge with my useless degree and use them both to write a novel so stay tuned for my second novel. (I guess I should start trying to send out my first one for publication. I do have to admit there is something romantic about going the hidden genius route of Emily Dickinson.)

Speaking of old loves, I kindled a relationship with an old flame this week. I agreed to see Ernest Hemingway for one book, and one book only, and it went quite well. I decided I should read his memoir of living in Paris A Moveable Feast since I'll be there soon and found that I really enjoyed it. Like most people who consider themselves literary types I used to love Hemingway but then I got too cool for him. I may need to re-evaluate my estimation of him just like I think the rest of the critical world does. I suspect he was right when he told his fourth wife and fellow writer during a quarrel, "They'll be reading my stuff long after the worms have finished with you." I never said he was a nice guy.

My boss is gone this week in Hawaii and some people on my team just can't handle it. Two people spent a full hour this morning staring out the window at the big ships in the ocean. This last week has fully convinced me that man is a hierarchical creature by nature.