..glad you liked "The Night Before" Helen. When I found it in Utne I immediately thought of this thread, but wasn't sure it was worth a refresh. Glad you took the initiative.

This 100 word idea has been a great exercise for me to *tighten up* and pare down my prose to the barest essentials. In the process, a new writing style emerged for me that prodded my interest to explore and experiment more. You give great thread Helen. The best to you and yours.