But we have had some fun together - after I built a planter box out back, Eli came over to help me plant in it. I think he had fun digging his hands in the dirt.

We play computer games together over the net. It's been a big breakthrough - since he knows I'm a ready StarCraft partner, he has my mobile phone number memorized. It's great to get regular phone calls from a nine year old.

Sometimes he calls me to tell me long Baldur's Gate II stories, and I haven't really played it so I can't quite keep up, but I'm glad to have something to rap with him about.

I got the family a PlayStation 2 for Christmas 2000; Eli picked up the installation process pretty quick. It ain't that hard, but it made me realize that he might be ready to handle something more advanced. Soon I think we'll buy a bunch of spare parts and build him his own PC. But his parents got him a Dell, and then a PowerBook - he's already moved on to making tunes in GarageBand.

Somehow he's got a hunger and a curiousity that's inspiring. Maybe I'm just interested because he's difficult. Boy refused to eat anything that wasn't pasta or cheese for years. Hah!