Another dark day in Madison.

At some point the days will start to lengthen, but for now, we're still plunging into the darkness. I spent most of the morning immersed in the Sunday NYT, then I went out to buy a lightbulb -- a special trip for a particular halogen model, which I desperately needed to restore full light to my half-lit bathroom. It's bad enough that the light outdoors is inadequate. The indoor lighting deficiency was annoying enough to overcome my current aversion to shopping and to propel me toward Menards, where a nice employee pointed out the crucial bulb and got me out of there in 5 minutes. I relocated with notebook, books, and crossword -- ah, a diagramless second puzzle! -- at a café over on Monroe Street. I'd left my computer at home, because I didn't want to struggle with the temptation that is WiFi. I chose a high table in a cluttered corner and spent two hours scribbling notes about a book I'm reviewing and taking little breaks to work on the puzzle or to read a few pages of that short story.