Personal reflections on my life and experiences.
Today, on this first day of 2017, my mom celebrates her 75th birthday (75? Really?), and to recognize the occasion, it seemed right of me to list 75 things about her that have been an important part of her life, or that simply have gone into making her so great. This list is too,...
Read more →In the last twenty minutes of the last day of the year, it’s as good a time as any to sprint back through the year and highlight the hallmark moments. I could probably say this 200 times here, but I’ll just put it here: the Cubs winning the World Series. Personally, I probably took...
Read more →Tonight, caught once again without a clear focus for writing, I thought it was a good time to try and get to know the guy behind the guy asking the questions- who happens to also be the guy getting questioned. Sometimes when the words won’t come, you have to take drastic measures. Let’s get...
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It all started tonight because I came home after dinner with my parents and I flipped on the TV for a moment’s distraction, and there on the screen was a young John Travolta fighting to make it on Broadway in the 1983 Stallone dancing vehicle, “Staying Alive”. When I was a kid and that...
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A couple of nights ago, I started a random story which, from the outset, had no background behind it. I had an American airman standing on an airfield somewhere in England at twilight in 1944, shivering in the cold air, surveying the runway, thinking about home. In a short time, as that idea surfaced,...
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Tonight after work, I met Tim Ung, my old friend from Sagebrush Highland Church, and another friend- Mike Smith, who was also part of the old kids area morning set-up crew back when the church met at Highland High- for dinner at Mannie’s on Central. It was great to see Tim for a bit...
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I’m taking a page here from Tim and his Off Center and Not Even daily photo site. Here’s a photo.
Read more →I finished a volume of Steinbeck’s early short stories yesterday, The Long Valley, and as usual, was overwhelmed at his careful development and delivery of each story (highly recommend!). I am always stuck in the giant empty room of my mind when it comes to actually thinking of topics. His stories are rich in...
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It was fairly impromptu, but this morning my Mom, Dad and I hopped in a car and headed out of Albuquerque around 8 AM to go visit the Bosque Del Apache Wildlife Refuge south of Socorro, NM. Bosque Del Apache is famous for the amazing number of waterfowl- cranes, ducks, and geese- that congregate...
Read more →There will be a drove of books coming out in the next year or so on them, on the year, on the accomplishment, on its significance. Evidently, Sports Illustrated writer Tom Verducci already has one ready to come out in early 2017. I mean, how does a story about the 2016 Cubs not get...
Read more →For the record, the national elections were this last Tuesday, and with the surprising surge of Trump driving into the presidency, the nation and the world remains in shock today. Except for the Dow Jones Industrial, which has also surged this week after election night jitters. I’m amazed at some of the bizarro stuff...
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For the record, I was at my parent’s house to see the game of the season, and of the century. The funny thing is, I had told my cousin I would make sure to wear my Cub’s hat for the two remaining games after Sunday’s win because when I took it off for a...
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When I awoke at 3:30 AM this morning, it was early to get myself ready for a 10+ hour drive to see family in Kansas this weekend. It would be a well-desired getaway from a few exceptionally heavy work weeks, I thought. The drive time out would be time to think a little, to...
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It’s been a melancholy day all day, so after a morning of doing little, I went for what I thought would be a short walk this afternoon in the Bosque down by the river. It became a 3 hours shuffle amidst sunlight and silence, but at least it produced a few photos. The bike...
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I had been thinking about it for three weeks, so last Sunday, I got up early and hit the road. To ride the train. The Cumbres-Toltec Scenic Railroad is famous for its fantastic fall train rides between Chama, New Mexico and Antonito, Colorado. The narrow gauge line, established in the 1880’s to help get...
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The skies are noticeably more gray lately in the evenings, except for the moments when the sun sets and the western sky is a tapestry of burning pastels. You also notice a tinge of chill in the air in the house, where the temperature is unmoderated and floats with whatever it is outside. The...
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