I took the last week of October to take some vacation time, escape to the other side of the state, and visit my sister and nephew. You may remember James from a column I wrote in March, but to save time, I will refresh your memory.

There is a big difference between creative writing and news writing.

I like politics, but it does not consume me. The newspaper columnists explore the issue well enough as do the constant newspaper, television and even radio news reports from countless source.

I am an avid fan of the Travel Channel. I am also a fan of Food Network, mainly because they cook things on that channel that I will never be able to copy.

I recently decided to make a serious effort toward learning Spanish. I haven’t done anything much in the way of speaking the language since I spent two weeks in Spain a couple of years ago as part of my college’s wind ensemble.