Upside Ann

  Before drifting away entirely, he found himself reflecting--not for the first time--on the peculiarity of adults.  They took laxatives, liquor, or sleeping pills to drive away their terrors so that sleep would come, and their terrors were so tame and domestic: the job, the money, what the teacher will think if I can't get Jennie nicer clothes, does my wife still love me, who are my friends.  They are pallid compared to the fears every child lies cheek and jowl with in his dark bed, with no one to confess to in hope of perfect understanding but another child.  There is no group therapy of psychiatry or community social services for the child who must cope with the thing under the bed or in the cellar every night, the thing which leers and capers and threatens just beyond the point where vision will reach.  The same lonely battle must be fought night after night and the only cure is the eventual ossification of the imaginary faculties, and this is called adultho...

"Caffeine was not what I needed.  I was wired enough to recauk the Pentagon."  Having fun reading all of Kathy Reichs' Tempe Brennan novels.  This is number 8.  If I focus, I can get through one in 2 days.  How's that for an accomplishment?  If you come back in 2025 and peruse my books read, you'll note that the first 7 books are listed in descending order.  My mistake.  I was copying from the "Also by" list and wasn't thinking about how they were presented.  (Note - that list of books has a big gap between July and November.  Drat! "There's no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothing."  Scottish fisherman's proverb Winter is coming.  Maybe.