I have favored some words simply because of the way they look, the way the sound or the very nature of them. For instance, I like the word apple because of the way it looks when written. I occasionally eat apples too, but it’s the word I like. I likeContinue Reading
We landed in Chania, Crete very early in the morning. So early in fact, that the sun was not up yet. I know this particular hour of the day. And at the time of this story, September 2004, I was definitely well acquainted with the pre-dawn hour. It was fromContinue Reading
I am somewhat spoiled when it comes to bookstores. After all, I live in Portland, OR which is home to Powell’s Books. I have mixed feelings about Powell’s. It’s a model of supply. It’s very competitive on prices and since we are in Oregon, there is no sales tax. IContinue Reading
My friend Christina is a young woman. It’s funny because I generally preface any personal anecdote with these words: “I am a young man,” because, well, I am. But with this anecdote, Christina is a young woman. In fact, next to her, I am an old man. We still getContinue Reading
St. Augustine, Florida and Drogobych, Poland and Portland, Oregon have very little in common. One from the other, they are nothing more than points on a map. I’ve been to St. Augustine, in that terrible spring of 2005. I have never been to Poland. Portland? Well, I’m here now. LeavingContinue Reading
I wanna quit. This is the general mood, the general feeling; it’s the way the ennui sets in during the quiet and tired times. I read the newspaper. It’s worth a giggle or two. I drink coffee, I’m down to one cup a day. On Saturday nights after work IContinue Reading
Introduction: Why here, why now, and the title of this project. It is not exactly public knowledge yet, but my time here in Portland, OR is limited. I suppose my time on Earth, like everyone’s time, is limited. Truth is, no matter how much we’d like to think otherwise, weContinue Reading
I just wanted to break their fingers. I was dumbstruck and angry about the behavior. Every one of my students when I taught basic college skills at the Southwest Early College was completely glued to their cellphones. And this was in the good ol’ days before ipads, tablets, iphones, smartphonesContinue Reading
I live and work downtown. It’s not San Francisco, it’s not Manhattan. But it is downtown, and that’s saying something. It comes up in conversation occasionally: “what part of town do you live,” “what neighborhood is yours?” See, here in Portland, Oregon, people are not only very proud of whereContinue Reading
Most of my living happens at night. I mean, very late at night. It’s been this way for a long time. Part of it is that I hang with my young son all day and I work evenings. The nature of working evenings is that everyone at home goes toContinue Reading