A Quick Quaff of Quietude

Tea: Mandarin Orange with honey

Music: King Crimson, "The Sheltering Sky"

Time: Night

Twin headaches tonight: sinus, which makes the left eye feel as though it's about to pop out, and caffeine withdrawal, which manifests as repeated blows to the back left of my head.

Two cures, one cup -- my Scrabble Q mug, which is covered with such high-scoring words as "quassia," "quinolin" and "quokka."

Good thing my father didn't have a mug like this when he was alive. During our epic Scrabble battles, I did all I could to hoard the four "U" tiles so that if he did draw the "Q," it would be useless to him.

All those chances he missed to play "qaid," "qanat," "qat," "qindar," "qintar," "qiviut" and "qoph."

If he were here now, I might let him borrow the mug for one game.

(pause)

Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh ...