The PM announcement and other musings

Last night while reading Entertainment Weekly or Writer's Digest or Utne Reader or any of the other 3,867 magazines stacked on my "to read" pile I heard J say the magical words I have so longed to hear. No, they weren't, "Why don't you let me do the cooking and cleaning from now on. Also, I'm going to give up video games and meat." They were, "Hey hon. Your name's on Publisher's Marketplace." And here's the word-for-word announcement, posted on December 15 under "Fiction/Debut:"

"Jessica Riley's RIDING WITH LARRY RESNICK, tells the story of a twenty-five year-old kidney transplant recipient who finds herself the grateful owner of a functional kidney once belonging to a man named Larry Resnick, to Jill Schwartzman at Harper, at auction, by Laura Blake Peterson at Curtis Brown (world English)."

Can I just say what an amazing feeling this is?!?! I don't know what "world English" means, but it sounds good to me. I'm so happy these days that if someone T-boned me on the way home from work I'd probably burst into song.

Here are some other things I learned this weekend:

1) You may not want to take a child under the age of 8 to King Kong. Pretty scary for little kids! A wee tot sat behind us and sang the ABC song during the first half and cried during the second half.

2) It's entirely possible that parts of you that belong inside you (such as your colon) can fall out of you. This didn't happen to me, but to an elderly resident of a nursing home (as told to me by my sister). This news both saddened and scared the bejesus out of me. Every birthday from now on will be darkened by the thought that I am one year closer to my colon falling out of me like a deflated balloon. I know that's completely gross, and I apologize for that. But I just wanted to warn you in case it happens to you 40 years from now. It's best to be prepared for these kinds of things. (Also, one's response to such an event can be a marker of true love. My brother, to his girlfriend: "Honey, if your colon fell out of you, I'd push it back in." The rest of the table: "Awwwwwww!")

3) I am old enough now that I no longer want to wait in line outside a club in subzero weather just to be crushed & spilled on to a bad Journey song. I can't believe I used to do this. Worse, I can't believe I used to drink a mysterious red beverage called "Wop" from a garbage can in some stranger's unfinished basement with 150 of my peers. While wedged beneath a pipe near the furnace. And making out with a stranger wearing a bad 80s sweater. Wop. Want Our Poison?

Finally, if you're in Madison and want a fantastic casual place to nosh (and because I'm sure I revved up your appetite with the colon story), check out The Great Dane Brewpub. The pretzels, inner warmth peanut stew, and Indian curried veggies are FABULATASTIC. And if you like beer, try the Crop Circle Wheat. We've gone here dozens of times, and I've yet to be disappointed.

Happy Monday!