12:36 a.m. I've been working all day on my brand spanking new index, which has behaved like many another web page beneath my hands. After spinning and weaving happily for hours on end, suddenly the thing begins to look misshapen, overwrought, ill-thought. After all this work, I may have to rethink it. Something on the page has moved over the line. Tomorrow, I may have to start all over again.

And sometimes the only way to fix it is to take your hands off the keys, walk away, and come back later. But, but. I've spent the entire day shadowing the twenty-six cut out letters that my daughter made one afternoon just for her own amusement when she was very, very little. These letters are the one thing I was sure of when I started the project; now that I've been knee deep in it all afternoon, I'm not so sure anymore.

So I'll paste a few of them in here, in case I decide to strip the page clean and start all over again. These letters must be set loose on the web.

Ok, so the Mets lost. I blame myself, really. I was there in front of the TV, rooting for them as any sane person would be, but then I drifted back here to the office and started working on my index again. By the time I got back, it was too late. Stupid hit that turned into a stupid run, and that was that. One smidgen bit less of fan support and the whole thing goes down. You've got to stay rooted in front of the tube and not go wandering off.

It's going to be another early day tomorrow, and a fancy dinner in the evening. This week we're working with our friendly law enforcement officers from Seattle and the Department of Justice. Actually, it's Igor's project -- I just show up, like clockwork, for the meals. Cops really like to eat.

And that will just about do it for me and this entry today. Today was remarkably quiet, and so I was able to work on all sort of small household things in addition to the index. The garbage, the laundry, the dishes, the plants, the pile 'o bills. The older I get, the more I like the quiet days. There is no day too dull for me. No hour too slow. I am the last person in the city to go stir crazy.

I have, however, begun to buy doubles of certain background items at the store, just in case. You know. In case the world shuts down in a couple of months and I run out of Metadent or Mr. Bubble or salt. I've also bought a case of Dinty Moore. Just in case. You know -- in case it gets too quiet, if you know what I mean.

You've got to love these letters.

See you Tomorrow!