"The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter." —Mark Twain
What’s going on in my life
Donna asked today how The Book’s coming along. She prods me every couple of weeks, usually when I’m in the middle of a blog post. She thinks blogging is at worst a waste of time, at best a way to put off serious writing. I admit that when I started blogging I hoped my talent would […]
This is not the chummy interlude it appears to be, but a quiet struggle for cushion hegemony. Left Shark prevailed.* Up early this morning to prepare a rack of pork spareribs and hit the gym. By preparing ribs, I mean pulling the membrane off the back, coating them with dry rub, and wrapping them in foil. […]
I’m watching the Democratic National Convention. Last week I watched the Republican National Convention. I don’t want to give the impression I’m obsessive about politics, but the coming election’s an important one and I want to know what forces are in play. Last week I watched prime time coverage of the RNC in Cleveland on network TV and […]
I always tell visitors to come back to the Pima Air & Space Museum at least once a year. There’ll be new stuff, I say. And it’s true. The Republic F-105D Thunderchief that’s been on display for many years had become an eyesore, its paint brutalized from constant exposure to the desert sun. I was […]
Yes, the beard is gone. Like an infant discovering its tongue, I’d become obsessively aware of the hair on my face, touching it, scratching at it, thinking about it day and night. The symptoms were signs, and they read: “A shave / That’s real / No cuts to heal / A soothing / Velvet after-feel / Burma-Shave.”
Another day in Ed’s shop: I bought a set of motorcycle tires a while back because they were on sale. The rubber on the Honda was still good, but who knew when or if another sale would come around? Last weekend I rode the bike on an errand and noticed it didn’t feel right. I checked the […]
This is a hash fish emblem. It’s a Hash House Harrier thing. We once bought a dozen, giving some to friends who are also hashers but keeping several for our own cars. Two of my motorcycles and at least six of our cars and trucks have sported hash fish. Currently every vehicle in our garage and driveway […]
Up early this morning. Took a shower, toweled off, put on clean dry clothes, went outside to clean up dog poop and replenish bird feeders. Note to birds: no disrespect intended. Note to self: next time, shower after outside chores are done. You guessed it: a muggy morning in Tucson. You all know the delightful feeling of breaking […]