Writing
Writers’ Group Curse
“What would you recommend if you’re already having a bad day?” “A curried margarita.” So began the latest meeting of this writing group. Me drinking alone an hour early before the meeting at an Indian restaurant because it was too much trouble to go home. My chiropractic appointment was unexpectedly canceled. Of course it was … Continue reading
Winter Is Here
Since Halloween is my favorite holiday, the ones that follow to close out the rest of the year are just a strain on time and money. Yes, I enjoy getting together with family and friends to share a yearly meal of thanksgiving, but I’ve become more of a Scrooge when it comes to bought gifts. … Continue reading
Halloween 2019
The last time I took a tango lesson was during this year’s free day of dance. Since Halloween fell on a Thursday, I revisited my old tango school for their regular tango lineup: beginners, intermediate, followed by a practice milonga. The original plan was to do all 3, but since I’d gone to my usual … Continue reading
Sound Bouquet
I never suffered from allergies until I moved to Austin at age 39. Apparently, The Live Music Capital of the World affects many newcomers the same way. For years, my inexpensive go-to strategies for dealing with my newfound allergy involved using a neti pot, attending regular Bikram yoga classes, and gobbling the cheapest brand of … Continue reading
The Book Cure
On its surface, my wildest dream seems rather tame. Curing all of society’s ills through books. But it’s not merely one of my nerdy pursuits. When I hear someone say something uninformed, my impulse is to say, “Oh, you should read such and such book” as if, magically, by having read such and such book, … Continue reading
Confessions of a Hat: Bamboo & Bones
When you see me coming Larger than life I derail your train Of thought No mere mortal Gazes upon me Unaffected I collect bones Unanswered queries Delivered by Gawk hawk Fly into my bamboo There’s no rhyme Nor reason No familiar Character to pin me to I’m the nightmarish Original Residing Under your bed Shape-shifting … Continue reading
Nilla Wafers Aren’t Cookies
My family lived on a military base when my father was stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base. My best friend, Bill, who lived across the street had two younger twin brothers and a stay at home mom. This was back in the 70s when kids could play around the entire neighborhood without parental supervision. … Continue reading
More than a Donation
One good thing about moving, especially after nearly a decade in the same apartment, was taking that inevitable trip down memory lane of forgotten items. What to keep, recycle, trash and donate. I unearthed a lot of teaching materials that could have been either donated or recycled, depending on whether it was something that I’d … Continue reading
Cooling Off Texas Style
I’m always amazed how silent those assholes who make a snowball in the wintertime as visual “proof” there’s no such thing as global warming are when we have record high temperatures year after year. I met my writing group at a restaurant and hoped I’d misunderstood the organizer’s text when she stated that she was … Continue reading
Everyone’s a Wolf
Remember that story about Little Red Riding Hood? Which version of it do you tell? Is the wolf the bad character? Does the huntsman save the day? Is grandma feeble? Does Little Red still walk the straight and narrow because the whole journey symbolically talks about losing her virginity and the red denotes her menses? … Continue reading