A man walks into a bar. On his way in, he stumbles, which strikes him odd, as a way to *start* the evening, but he gets in and orders a Scotch, mostly to get served by Phoebe, the pretty new waitress with the amazing hazel eyes.

After a few minutes, he’s sure he’s made an impression, and he’s already anticipating the feel of her hair, how those eyes will widen with the pleasure of a kiss. Maybe one day, they will talk about all those poems she reads. She brings a fresh bowl of pretzels, and she looks over at him. Great, he thinks, I made an impression.

“Sir?” she says.

“Call me Ed,” he thinks.

“I think you dropped this,”

Blushing, he hops over and retrieves his prosthetic leg.

It might be cheating, Connie, but you can get it on half.com for four bucks.

Is that cheating? Cause I do it all the time. Stretching that book buying dollar, cause I'm broke.

Oh, I just meant cheating wrt the thrill of finding it at a used book store. Like going to the deli instead of hunting.

I like the hunting around at the used bookstores better than just ordering one online. I like to know what condition it is in for sure, and I like looking through stacks of used books to find a great deal hidden away. I will occasionally order a used book online if it is something I want to read immediately.

I keep thinking about half.com, but that's dangerous water to dip into. Plus I hate paying shipping (of course, there may be free shipping deals). If I find something at a used book store I can justify it by saying, "But it won't be there tomorrow!"

I picked up a hardback of Stephen King's "On Writing" not long after it was published for five bucks. I giddily took it to the counter, and the clerk said, "Used? We have this used? Where!"

As a writing book, it's average, but as the story of a writer's life--especially the part about The Accident--it's wonderful. Assuming, of course, that you like King. I much prefer his non-fiction to his fiction these days. Though "Salem's Lot" terrified me.

Plus I hate paying shipping (of course, there may be free shipping deals). If I find something at a used book store I can justify it by saying, "But it won't be there tomorrow!"

I think we were separated at birth.

On Writing is good stuff.

I think we were separated at birth.

I could have sworn Mother would have said something ...

"Mother! Why didn't you tell me I have a Indian twin brother! Who's half my age!"

Still, I've seen stranger things in my genealogy.

(laughing my ass off at erika's story, in a twisty little way)

We had a genuinely good writers group tonight. Everyone had something to read, and they brough me cake for my birthday.

That's exactly the way to read it.(I may be one of the only writers around who borrowed from life for a story like that.Although the prosthesis was a nod to my homegirl Flannery O'Connor and "Good Country People".) Sounds like a good group, Deb.