Essay
CALL OF THE WILD: Fine Dining, Traditions and Roadkill
“I hit a fox last night.” I told Rita this as we drove up Lawndale Drive toward Summerfield, just after we’d passed a small carcass on the side of the road. It was late, the streets empty, the air filled with the sweet sadness of a fleeting summer night. “It dashed in front of my…
Read MoreA BURIED TREASURE, A NEW ADVENTURE
He almost went into the freebie pile. He stands 7 1/2 inches tall. I should say he measures that tall because he can’t stand on his own. His clothes are moth-eaten. His feet look too wide and big for his short legs. Yet there was something about him that intrigued me. Mind you, it took…
Read MoreSURPRISE!
If you’ve ever been invited to a surprise party you know the stress of having to get there by a certain time. If you’ve ever hosted a surprise party you’ve done plenty of nail-biting worrying if guests will arrive before the guest of honor and keep their mouths shut. Plus there’s the danger the ruse…
Read MoreFADED PHOTOGRAPHS
In going through another purge/organization of my home, I found this photo. I have no idea who this woman is. I do know the photo was taken in Kansas City, Missouri, around 1900. I’ve seen her face in a few other pictures but there’s nothing written on the back to identify her. Look at that hat!…
Read MoreBETWEEN THE COVERS WITH JOHN WATERS
I’ve just finished John Water’s latest funhouse of memories and musings, Role Models. There’s a spray of pink slips of paper sprouting from the top of it now – markers of captivating passages. I know, I know. With an e-reader you can highlight, search for keywords and deodorize a room at the same time. I’d…
Read MoreJUST FRIENDS
In the movie When Harry Met Sally, Billy Crystal’s character makes a passionate case that a man can’t be friends with a woman because he’s always thinking about having sex with her. In 2003, when I became friends with Ted, a transplanted Yankee radio engineer who set up my NC recording studio, many suspected something was…
Read MoreARE YOU A DIGITAL HOARDER?
Today I realized I’d used up half of my allotted gmail space. A panic hit me, not unlike the panic that used to set in when I thought about having to one day empty my mother’s stuffed-to-the-gills house. That “day” turned out to last six weeks. So once a year, I go through my own…
Read MoreMY GOOGLE-FREE DAY
It started as an early morning tweet. I cast into the twitterverse: When was the last time you went through a day without using the word google? Then I thought, why not try a google-free day? Not only would I not say “google,” I would not indulge in the act itself. There was something about being so…
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