As I drove home in the snow yesterday, a review of Bob Dylan’s new album on NPR reminded me that every evaluation of everything is contextual, including my opinion of the review. The road conditions were suddenly terrible, meaning I couldn’t make it to Russ’s house as planned, so maybe I was grumpy, making all kinds […]
Tag Archives: family
Secrets of a Super Chill Thanksgiving
Here’s what I used to do, back when I was stupid. Troll the web for the best and yet easiest recipes for things like stuffing, sweet potatoes, and this year green bean casserole though we’ve never had that at Thanksgiving before. Apparently it’s a big deal, green bean casserole. But this year it’s my idea […]
Not at all like a bird
I have to eat slower. Last night I was shoving sweet potato fries into my mouth, four at a time. Swaddled in ketchup, smashed into brute taste force. Why? Today I can still taste the lettuce from my Greektown wrap. Probably because I didn’t chew that either. My dad ate very slowly. I used to […]
Our kind of town
Yesterday Gigi said both psychopathy or sociopathy constitute a way of being in the world. One may be more genetically-based, one more environmentally, but they result in the same way of interacting with others – namely, not letting anyone get in the way of what you want. I said, “What if someone is a psychopath […]
Analogy unfinished, analogy overexplained
Ordinarily I wouldn’t come back here, to a bar created by a friend but then sold to a stranger. No matter why or how it was sold, it just wouldn’t feel right. Disloyal. But my brother is playing guitar here, something he doesn’t often do, and family trumps friends, so here I am, sitting on […]
Ernest Hemingway’s boots
I found out tonight that Silas knew Ernest Hemingway. “I got a job…I went over to Sun Valley there in Idaho—” No, I can’t be sure of how he worded it. It was late and my voice recorder wouldn’t work because my phone storage was maxed out. I should have fixed the problem earlier, at […]
Counts for Easter
Among my mom’s many mildly annoying sayings was “Well, this counts for eatin’.” I was never sure what it meant, whether she hadn’t really enjoyed the meal or she really had. Or maybe that she wasn’t hungry but felt obligated to eat. Or maybe it referred to something specific the first time and she enjoyed […]
One good lie
What’s not to believe? I got an email inviting me to audition for a show filled with lies. For the audition, I have to tell a three-minute lie, as outrageous as I like. How hard can that be? So I accepted and figured something would come to me. But now the audition is just days […]
Comes tomorrow we’re tomato soup
My favorite so far is the window. “Stick shifts and safety belts bucket seats have all got to go” Too literal? “If you respect me at all please don’t call” Too pathetic? I’m choosing a lyric for my weekly submission in Christina’s photography contest. “You’ll never be what you’ll never be But you can always […]
Our lip is sealed
I’m definitely not using this shot. I have too many secrets. My upper lip is disappearing. I can’t write about my funny adventure today because I can’t reveal a certain surprise for a certain person’s husband. I don’t know if he reads this but I can’t take any chances. I would have used an exclamation […]