There isn’t a sign. No balloons on a mailbox. No bright marker to let you know you’ve arrived. There’s no handicapped parking. No health department permit, no indication that you’ve even paid sales tax. Nestled on the edge of the Appalachian Mountains, in the midst of the apple orchards and packing plants where much of … Continue reading The Man in the Woods
Month: August 2017
Cry
A couple of days ago, I picked up a follower with a clever name. Alliterative, self-deprecating, suggesting an outsider’s perspective on the world. Her picture looked like the sort of person I’d relate to. Yes, this is a lot to pick up from a username and avatar. So, I checked out her blog. I’m not … Continue reading Cry
Angry, Old and Middle-Class
AwkWARD
I was awarded this week. Twice! I’m sure you know about these awards. They are the blogging version of a chain letter. You get nominated by a blogger, you give a shout-out to said blogger, you answer a few questions, and you then nominate sixty-seven others for the same award. And if you do the … Continue reading AwkWARD
BT
Brian Transeau grew up next door to me. Who’s Brian Transeau? Right. I wouldn’t know that either if he didn’t live next door. From his Wikipedia page: Better known by his stage name BT, Transeau is an American music producer, composer, technologist, audio technician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. He was a pioneer in the formation … Continue reading BT
Shaving Cream
Forty-year-old song lyrics I can recite from memory: I have a sad story to tell you, It may hurt your feelings a bit Last night when I walked into my bathroom I stepped in a big pile of Shhhh-aving cream, be nice and clean, Shave every day and you'll always look keen! If you remember the … Continue reading Shaving Cream
A most unusual resignation letter
Today I quit my job. Well, I haven’t told anyone yet, so: Today I decided to quit my job. And it isn’t my real job, not the one that supports my family. It’s my hobby-job. My fun job. My job as a spin instructor. The joy is gone. Tonight was the second week in a … Continue reading A most unusual resignation letter
Kid Food
Jiffy Pop, Jiffy Pop the magic treat — as much fun to make as it is to eat. I’ve known this jingle my entire life. Jiffy Pop was invented in 1959, three years before I was born. As a kid, I loved to make my own food. It was a rush that I could make … Continue reading Kid Food
Careen
Six-year-old me at the top of a hill. Straddling my bike, everything normal except the absence of a chain. “This will be great,” they said. “Without breaks, you’ll go faster.” 1969, a blue Schwinn with a white seat, a twenty-inch job. Still too big for teeny, tiny me. The ubiquitous stingray design that dominated the … Continue reading Careen
The Shimmering Image
I’ve taken two writing courses in my life. One class—Creative Nonfiction, I enrolled in it as I first embarked on my writing hobby—was phenomenal. Useful, educational, fun. I walked away with a two-thousand-word essay that makes me proud to this very day. The second class, taken on the heels of the first, gave me nothing. … Continue reading The Shimmering Image
Casual
Casual. What a prompt. I could write a book. Attire has been front and center in my thoughts for three weeks. That’s when I started a new job. In fact, I’ve already written about this. Maybe I should just re-post my recent essay Adult. For twenty years, my life has been a study in clothes. Comfortable … Continue reading Casual
Moon Phases
I’m not an astronomer, an astrophysicist, or any other type of spacey science professional that offers me any credibility or credentialed knowledge on this topic. I studied business administration in college. Through my interests and my work, I know a lot about finance, fitness, child care and marketing. Not space. Not astronomy. But I happen … Continue reading Moon Phases
The Other Stuff 