I have to say, it has been about as quiet as it has ever been on the HM site. J.E. and I seem to be keeping some nominal chatter, but I haven’t seen Toby or Peters here for quite a while. That seems surprising considering all that has been going on the last few weeks: the Democratic primaries and a seeming turn this last week for Hilary Clinton; John McCain clinching the Republican nomination and so quickly seeking Bush’s endorsement; the Academy Awards, with No Country for Old Men as Best Picture; a new trailer out for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull; the intriguing basketball rivalry between Kansas and Kansas State and high hopes going into the NCAA tournament; Ned has a new painting posted; there’s a U2 movie out in 3D; a Graywolf poetry title (Mary Jo Bang’s Elegy) just won the National Book Critics Circle Award in Poetry; Jen and I had a great experience with our first ultrasound this past week, with everything looking good and healthy so far; making some plans for the spring or summer; and just about anything and everything else that might be going on.In any case, I hope the silence means you’re all doing well.Â