He Made Me Laugh He was not 2,000 years old, but only 98. He did not invent the cure for cancer or climate warming. He did not lead the nation through a devastating war. He did not make any big feature award-winning films or wright Top-40 songs. He did not run for or hold any grand public offices. He did father one of the great movie-makers and TV sitcom stars of our age in Rob…
Succulentamentality Succulence is said to be tender, juicy and tasty. But succor is about help when in distress, of military reinforcements and of giving aid especially to those who need it the most. The help it represents came from Latin, through French and into Middle English. Succulent plants are those which are engorged with water to last them for long periods of time in arid climates. They are by their very nature, drought resistant plants,…
A High-Functioning Sociopath Tonight Kim and I have been looking for something new and interesting to watch on TV. We started with an attempt to watch something on Apple TV which was not available on the menu of the Samsung Smart TV (I haven’t bothered to set up an Apple TV receiver since the Samsung generally has all the connectivity needed). In fact, I was able to go to the Internet icon and type in…
Residentially Believable I have now been a California resident since February 4th at the very latest. I arrived here in my car on December 21, but was back in NYC in January for a few weeks while we wrapped up move-related logistics and closed-out our apartment. The movers finished up on February 3rd and the apartment was empty and broom-cleaned that night as we slept in the hotel next door. I surrendered my apartment keys…
Bug Soup I have explained that this house has several lovely outdoor seating areas. There is the wonderfully sunny deck floating out over the hillsides towards the ocean. It has an “infinity” aspect to it the way infinity pools have an endless quality to them, blending the water and the sky. There is the garden patio overlooking the grotto-like hot tub set amongst the boulders and nestled into the succulents and cacti. That patio is…
An Overindulgence of Crocs Last summer I did something very much on purpose to see if I could handle the trauma. I bought a pair of black Crocs to take and wear around Western Ireland during our family vacation, with the idea that I would dispose of them there (they are $45 shoes after all and made of cheap plastic) rather than lug them home in the suitcase. This was a new concept for me…
Beyond the Garbage Bins It’s Wednesday morning at 6am and I’m sitting barefoot in the jump seat of the Sprinter Van we have rented for a trial run. I have put the blinds next to me up because, while Kim has fallen back to sleep, I know she wears both an eye mask and ear plugs and will not be bothered by my rousing. I am feeling very alive this morning, but can’t claim that…
Going Honkytonk I am the furthest thing you will find from a person who relates to country music. When I hear of people going to Nashville to visit the heart of the beast at either or both the Country Music Hall of Fame or the Grand Ole Opry, I just scratch my head in wonder. All that said, I think two of my favorite movies for some strange reason are Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee…
Coming Out of Hibernation Over the past few months, Kim and I have gotten into the practice of regularly measuring our temperature, pulse and oxygenation levels in search of any signs of the Coronavirus. This started by watching video clips of Chinese state agents pointing temperature guns at the foreheads of transiting passengers to determine risk of infection. This predated the thought that asymptomatic transmission was a major concern and seemed like a sensible, though…
Oliver Twist Today I was cleaning up my iPad trying to get rid of all those annoying little red bubbles indicating messages or notifications. You know the ones I’m talking about, we all have them on our phones and tablets and we most often try to keep them eliminated by looking at what we are being asked to look at. Whenever I get Kim’s phone in my hand (she uses her phone as a primary…