I was born Donald Curtis Bellinger.  Well that’s on my Birth Certificate.  But no one really has a name until they grow into it.  Or at least until you can respond to your name in some clever way, like with a wink, or a smile, or more likely crying or something more stinky.  And then seemingly moments later when you are a teen and your mother asks, “How was your day?”  Your witty reply begins and ends with, “OK.”  Strange to regress to less communication skills than when you were 2 months old.  I never cared for Donald, so don’t generally answer to it, unless it’s the IRS.  I usually go with Don or if I need more formality, then Don Curtis.

I was born and currently live in Walla Walla, WA.  Walla Walla is the wine capital of Eastern Washington.  There are around 31,000 Walla Wallans, and approximately 31,000 wineries.  No, really, everyone is always talking about their latest Cab.  About it’s heady nose, earthy body, and fetching bottom . . . well, I seem getting off on a tangent.  I thought ‘Cab’ had something to do with Cab Calloway.  Boy was I wrong.  I’m a beer person, myself.  Maybe I’ll start wearing a t-shirt that says, ‘I Prefer Beer’.

I am married to Joy, who was also born in Walla Walla.  She is smart, talented, and beautiful.  And she paid me $10 to say that.  Whoops, she just threw a shoe at me.  It missed.  Ouch!  The second one didn’t.  But I’m only kidding.  She only paid $5.  She’s right behind me, isn’t she?

I’m a guy in love with Words.  And Joy, of course.  She has a whole lot of shoes.  I write poetry, and an occasional short story.