Rummaging through a box of old knick-knacks I came upon a pocket watch. Pocket watches seem to have gone out with the Lindy and the speakeasy. It’s a shame, isn’t it? There is a certain dignity invoked when one is asked for the time and fashioning a response first begins with a knowing, slightly superior glance followed by a tug of a chain, not unlike the (more…)
I have this idea for a gut-splitting hilarious post which will surely be the highlight of your life. I fully intended on banging it out this morning as to give you a nice weekend boost. However, it looks like I’m going to pass on it which is unfortunate for you. And since the subject is highly time-sensitive, that particular brilliant (more…)
There’s no better time to incur debt than during a prolonged recession. Over the past six months or so the lovely Ms. Trask and I have contemplated upgrading the kitchen. Actually, so much in the house demands attention that it’s almost impossible to know where to start. But every home improvement guru I hear and every home improvement article I read preach from the same gospel. When it comes to selling your home the biggest (more…)
Winter’s drought is here. Inspiration’s flood is suppressed behind water tight doors. My imagination is cracked and dry. I am a panting dog, a desert wanderer in search of an oasis. Everything has been stripped, locked down and sealed. Nothing gets in and therefore nothing comes out.
Like an escaped POW I make my way through no man’s land, explosions (more…)
Red and I say, “Hiya!”
That is all.
“You know how it is when you go to be the subject of a psychology experiment, and nobody else shows up, and you think maybe that’s part of the experiment? I’m like that all the time.” – Steven Wright
I have taken the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test several times over the course of my working life. This test is designed to identify how you perceive the world and, as a result, function within it through psychological preferences. Ideally it will help you understand (more…)
For a while now books have pushed hard against the boundaries of the house, threatening to burst through the walls in search of more space. It’s not the first time I’ve been through this. Most of my life has been crowded with books, although for a brief period I enthusiastically ran in the other direction.
About ten years ago I was possessed with a newfound desire to adopt a minimalistic lifestyle and living space. I craved air and light. I required clean lines and (more…)
2011
Since I joined Flickr in 2006 I’ve taken a self-portrait shot standing in front of a mirror every December 2. There’s no significance to the date or mirror. It’s not anything I planned. It’s just happened and has now become a moral imperative. So this morning once I was dressed (but still barely awake) I grabbed the trusty Nikon, found a suitable mirror, and performed my obligation.
Happy December 2 everyone!
Among the items my aunt left to the family when she died in 1982 was a small, leather bound ringed notebook simply titled “Family Data”. Over the years she researched and (more…)
Lee Marvin may have been a film actor, but don’t let that fool you. He was a tough hombre. He excelled at portraying hard-nosed characters who would as soon pummel as talk to you. There was never a hint of artifice about him. He had the gift of making his acting appear effortless, lending real credibility to the roles he played. At least I think that now looking back on his work. Maybe that’s because when I was nine I saw the real Lee Marvin in action and learned he was every bit as fiery off screen as on screen.
Each year when I was a kid we schlepped to the annual convention of the Marine Corps League. (The Marine Corps League is the Marine Corps official veterans association.) Schlepped is an unfair depiction since it was always tremendous fun. From the moment we’d (more…)
Trask Avenue 