Too many words. That’s the impression I have from reading a few chapters of a book I was working on in 1997-2004, “Difficult Places”. I felt literally sick reading it. So much effort to produce … a lot of words. Just two things today: Not that these two bits are so spectacular. One is an attempt … read more Day 97: Tired of words
Month: October 2015
Day 96: To me, 1982.
Dear 23-year-old self, Who told you that you were “too tall,” anyhow? You are not taller than any of your future lovers will be. A tall woman with straight posture looks so elegant that men of all heights will jump to be with her. So stop slumping. Right now! It doesn’t make you shorter, it just makes you look … read more Day 96: To me, 1982.
Day 95: Memory guts
When we lose a memory, where does it go? Inside the guts of a computer, the information is still there even if we can no longer activate it. That must be why I’ve kept this decade-old Vaio laptop in storage for almost five years. Couldn’t bear to just toss it in the trash. It holds … read more Day 95: Memory guts
Day 94: Seven days, seven books
As I’m nearing the 100-day mark, I figured it was time to get organized. I came up with seven categories of posts on this site, but each one is really the baseline (or maybe bass line) of a book. So I’m calling them Books. The left-hand column is where you can find this bookshelf on any page of the site … read more Day 94: Seven days, seven books
Day 93: Improv in blue
I was on a hunt for chorizo. You never know where they’ll put it in a big grocery store. A Publix employee in the meat department, who was standing maybe eight feet away, gave me a huge smile and fairly bellowed, “Hello! How’re you doing?” I jumped – her greeting was that big. “Oh, hi, I’m fine!” I … read more Day 93: Improv in blue
Day 92: A life in three sentences
She married a crippled man who later disappeared. Of this union were born 7 children. They resided in Norwalk and little is known of them. This is all I know of Mary Tyler Meyers, one of my maternal great-grandfather’s nine siblings. Except for the bare dates of her birth and death, Mary Tyler Meyers exists … read more Day 92: A life in three sentences
Day 91: Calling
My chiropractor is a compact, athletic guy who can adjust my neck and spine with the ease and speed of a hotel maid making up a bed. My limbs fall like sheets under his hands, and he tucks and straightens until I am aligned to the structure I was manufactured with. I appreciate anyone who does their job well; … read more Day 91: Calling
Day 90: Still missing you
I was none too sure about you, Rob, when you sat down for the first day of orientation in Kabul. April, 2004: We were setting up Pajhwok Afghan News, the first independent news agency in Afghanistan. There were 120 staff to whip into shape. We had just two months before we’d be publishing daily content, and only … read more Day 90: Still missing you
Day 89: A place on Mars
In The Martian, Matt Damon is stuck on Mars farming potatoes. I seriously envied him. You may recognize the landscape of this movie from Lawrence of Arabia – or from other movies about Mars, as well as another movie by Ridley Scott, Prometheus. And if you’ve been there, you know that reddish rock cannot be any place other than Wadi Rum, in … read more Day 89: A place on Mars
Day 88: A charmed life
I’ve been sorting through memorabilia, and found my charm bracelet from high school. Each charm was supposed to represent one of the meaningful things in my life. There’s one of a woman playing tennis. Well, I tried it for a summer. Spent most of my time chasing the ball. I think the charm was more meaningful because … read more Day 88: A charmed life