No time for politics, a glimpse ahead to my summer of letters

As fires burn across this world, we endure. I have been posting a little less frequently than I’d like but about as often as I can afford right now. Life is busy and as many of you know I have young children and a real job (which is not this).

I took some time off late this week so Christina and I could catch a show in the Twin Cities. “Honk,” a musical retelling of the story of the Ugly Duckling, was staged at North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park under the direction of our old friend Mike Ricci, formerly of Hibbing. (Catch closing night Saturday at 7:30!) We visited the Apple Store. We ate steaks that were not prepared in accordance with Weight Watchers principles. We drove and talked a lot, also enjoying some random moments of silence — a rare and treasured commodity.

I will continue to report on news items from around the Iron Range, in northern Minnesota, USA, North America, Earth, Solar System, Universe, Mind of God. This will include some proper coverage of things like the MN-8 Congressional race, Essar Steel’s Nashwauk project and, roughly speaking, the future of the region. However, I have been holding back on some creative projects that, for the sake of my own sanity and growth, I need to let loose. Here’s a list:

• Fiction! I have a couple stories I aim to serialize or write into a full length novel.
• A live stage show this summer, testing my chops as variety show host. I’ll be asking for help on this one.
• A couple long form essays in the style of my first book, “Overburden,” that I might shop around to magazines or compile into e-books.
• Clean my damn garage.

There are more but this is enough for now, don’t you think? Be patient through the changes and don’t give up on this ol’ blog. Some neat things are going to happen here, or else my spectacular failure will provide you, the reader, with other forms of amusement.