Re-Strategizing

Chimneys at dawn. Notice there's but one smoke trail wending skyward. Fortunately for my allergies, hardly anyone in our neighborhood burns wood in their fireplaces--which seems like such a cozy thing to do, esp. in this chill. But you can imagine the soot that would result. Not surprising then how few hearths kindle in Paris, because living in Paris is less "dirty" than you'd expect: at the end of the day, when you clean your ears out with a Q-tip, the cotton come out looking relatively untouched (depending on the state of your aural health). In L.A. or N.Y., the same procedure would bring a swab discoloration most shocking. This low-key personal pollution adds greatly to the city's charm. In a place like Rome, you feel a grit on your body after a day outdoors. Here, your only worry is the dog crap.

I called up Dear Pal Pete yesterday (returning his call, actually, but unbeknownst to me since I don't check our voicemail).

"Hey, have you checked out the new entries on EUROCHINO about our Thanksgiving in London?" I asked.

"Man, there's nothing new up about London."

"Yeah there is. I put it back on the date it originally happened. You have to go to the November archives, then scroll down--"

"Dude, that's moronic. Nobody's gonna' do that. Just put a link to those posts on your most recent posts--otherwise, who's gonna' know they're there? I don't spend all my time scrolling through your entire blog to see if you've 'back-filled' anything new!"

There is a pause.

"You don't?"

"No! Dude, how are people gonna' know you've been inserting new posts back in the old sections they've already read?"

"Oh....Well, I was gonna' announce it to everyone, y'know...like, with a new post?"

If this were a Peanuts comic strip, Dear Pal Pete would have followed my response with a "GOOD GRIEF!"

If this were the 1968 motion picture blockbuster "Bullitt," Pete would have told me, "Time starts now."

As it was, I just had to promise to keep current and let people know if I've added anything to "the past."

I added a bunch of stuff about the London trip and Pete and Kev's visits, which happened around November 16th or so until the 27th or so.

And then there was that stuff I filled in before their visit, in the early part of November. I know one entry was on the first, it had to do with Halloween.

Does that help?

From now on I'll stick to posting straight ahead, and just "recollect" from the present all of those interesting events from the past that I've yet to write.