Cities aren’t monoliths
We need to discuss cities in America for a minute, because a lot of people who don’t live in one have a few really weird misconceptions about them. I mostly want to deal with one specific one, though. Of...
The Christmas Chair
There is a strange tradition in my family, but it doesn’t go back that far. Even so, the Christmas Chair is something we cherish. The history of it is both funny and, kinda not, I guess. My maternal...
The Tea Kettle
My grandmother on my father’s side had a few issues. Now, we all have issues so hey, what of it? And sure, that’s fine, but hers were a bit different and some of them impacted me directly. For example,...
The Strange History of Advertising on This Site
This blog has been around for about twenty years at this point. I don’t have an exact date as sometime in late 2012 I nuked every post from before early August that year. There was simply too much debris, too...
My Grandmother’s Sticky Kitchen
Summer vacation for me, as a kid, meant a week or two staying at my Grandmother’s house. I don’t mean just me, no, my mother and sister also went. My grandmother spent part of the summer off elsewhere...
Family Story Time – The Party
So let me tell you a story about my father. I don’t often get into these stories as, well, they tend to sound made up. I get that, I do, but this is 100% pure truth. It’s just one of those perfectly...
Ish
I wasn’t planning on posting this, must less right now when I have a bunch of stuff to get done right now and I’m all busy and argh and — anyway: Religion. Faith. All that jazz. Not something I...
One piece of clothing
I only have one piece of clothing I actually deeply and truly care about. I mean, I have lots of stuff I like that I wear, but it’s not the same. No this is something utterly different for me. In 1996 (maybe...
An NYCWTF excerpt
This is a true story. It actually comes from my book NYCWTF which is all 100% true stories. But I was just thinking about this one so I am posting it here, as well. Go buy the book and make my publisher think it...
My Problems With Star Wars
Recently I got gifted the complete Star Wars on blu-ray. I’ve always had a strange relationship with Star Wars films. Empire Strikes Back is to blame for Scooby-Doo being ruined for me*. For example. But...
The Wrongest Number
So while having lunch today my phone went off. A text message from a number not in my contact list. Fine, happens, not strange. And I look. And it is directions and times for a funeral for someone whose name I do...
Bible readin’
Mentioned this to D.J. Kirkbride earlier but I tend to, every few years, spend a few days reading the Bible. Now there are a few things to keep in mind here: 1 – I went to a Catholic school from grades 1-8. 2...
Peas in a pod
Talking to Laura and just made a peas in pod joke (about moving PODs, but anyway) and it made me flash to something I had to stop and write about. When I was a kid, I got these stuffed peas. And I remember once,...
Digital isn’t the only answer.
When you have a ton of deadlines that cross each other you learn to adapt. That adaptation can take funny forms. I use Google Calendar for all my schedules. I have Google calendars I make to schedule every project...