originaldaddio

Today is the Los Angeles Times/ UCLA festival of books. Last year was the first year we didn't go. I had hoped to take the boy today as a family activity. It's actually a lot of fun. Hundreds of booths with different kinds of booksellers, kid events, food, and the campus of UCLA to run around in. He doesn't want to go. He doesn't remember how much fun he had in past years. When I told him I had hoped we could do it as a family activity he said "yeah we're not much of a family anymore". I just want to put a gun to my head when I hear him say stuff like that.

Ok update: We ended up going and he had a great time. We got him a new Tin Tin book (only missing 1 now). The crazy wierd part starts now:

Yesterday I was feeling a little nostalgic so I started googling some of my old classmates from college. One of them was a guy named Duncan Rouleau. He was one of the "In crowd" but was always nice enough to me (me = not one of the "In crowd"). Anyway, turns out he went on to become a comic book artist and movie and TV storyboard guy. I found a web page about his new graphic novel The Nightmarist which led me to his e-mail. So I e-mailed. Generic "Hi how ya been?" "Let's get back in touch.." etc...

So this morning at the festival I think "I'm gonna stop by the Hi De Ho Comics tent because they always have every graphic novel. As the boy and I walk up there it is right in front. I walk over to pick up a copy and Duncan is standing right next to them. He's been signing autographs all morning and is just about to head out. We chat for a few minutes and exchange phone numbers. So now I have reconnected with an old friend. The circumstances could not have been stranger.