A terrifying breakfast

Hard work pays off

Mental Health

It had taken months, but he was glad of the hard work and dedication, in the end; after all, a full beard is the best defense against the harsh, wine-soaked whiskers of drunken bisous.

And here's a re-run, as I try to overcome jet lag and figure out how to live in Seattle again:

Hold out for relevance

Overtime in Wallis (last day)

Mental Health

“There is no reason to be upset,” I hear myself saying into the silence. The children, the teachers, and the SWAT team are all watching very closely. “If everyone holds perfectly still, I promise she won’t bite.” I say this, but across the room, my velociraptor doesn’t look convinced.

Overtime in Wallis, day 19

I get home tomorrow, by the way.

Overtime in Wallis, day 18

Mental Health

Only clowns came to Connor’s birthday party that year. They arrived by the carful, in improbable but ever-increasing numbers. They all seemed to know him— was this a strange prank? Were they all his seven and eight year old friends in disguise? But Connor didn’t have this many friends, and the clowns were all grown-ups. He went warily through the motions of the party, but worried about how it would end. The clowns were apparently having the time of their lives, and the party was supposed to have ended hours ago, but showed no signs of letting up. And where were his parents?

Overtime in Wallis, day 17