Idle idyll on the asphalt
Two days ago I got a flat tire. I was in a hurry, as usual, racing to meet a friend for dinner, and as I pulled out of my driveway I immediately heard the sickening “flub” and felt that pulling … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Me, myself, and I
Crafts, mountains, friends
Yesterday I made one of favorite my annual treks to get away from it all, driving a few hours to the western part of New Hampshire to the Sunapee Crafts Fair. That website doesn’t even begin to do it justice, … Continue reading →
The dump and the lost and the found
Yesterday I went to the town dump. I live in a town where–despite fairly hefty property taxes–we don’t have garbage collection. I’m not sure why, but my guess is that there’s some sort of ethos here that garbage isn’t esthetically … Continue reading →
Beating the heat while you sleep
Last night was the first night in I don’t know how long that it wasn’t beastly hot. I’m one of those people–not all that rare in New England–who doesn’t have air conditioning, so believe me, these things get my attention. … Continue reading →
Friends: who needs em?
Recently Dr. Helen, another psychoblogger, wrote this interesting essay exploring the topic of modern-day friendship. It’s funny; we talk and think (and sing!) a lot about love–how to get it, how to keep it, what goes wrong with it, what … Continue reading →
Laryngitis and sympathy
A few weeks ago I had a bout of laryngitis. It’s a funny thing, laryngitis; an excellent tool for making a person feel powerless. Something most of us ordinarily take for granted—the voice—mysteriously vanishes without a word of warning. Now … Continue reading →
The tie that bonds, the bond that ties
I found them deep in the bottom of the safe deposit box, put there so long ago they’d been virtually forgotten. Three US Savings Bonds, gifts to me on the occasion of my birth. The denominations didn’t seem huge: 100, … Continue reading →
For Mother’s Day: mothers and babies
Okay, who are these three dark beauties? A hint: one of them is the very first picture you’ve ever seen on this blog of neo-neocon, sans apple. Not that you’d recognize me, of course. Even my own mother might not … Continue reading →
Pubescent rites of passage: coming of age in Astoria (and elsewhere)
Today, reading Fausta’s reminiscences about the coming-of-age party for girls in the Hispanic community known as the quinceaé±ero, I was reminded of–well, of lots of things, which I’ll get to in due course. But first, Fausta quoting the NY Times … Continue reading →
Ah, the joy of organizing: going through old papers
I don’t know about you, but I’m not the most organized of people. Oh, I’m not all that bad. My desk doesn’t pile up too much before I clear it. You can walk a straight line through my house and … Continue reading →
Weaving the tangled web of deception: confessions of an April fool
Well, it’s the morning after (or, rather, the afternoon after). And in the sober light of a non-April Fool’s Day, as I reflect back on my little prank of yesterday, I’m chastened. Chastened, but still a neo-neocon. I had no … Continue reading →
Exclusive: neo-neocon rerats
[HINT: note the date] If you’re a regular reader here, you probably already know that Winston Churchill is my idol– well, one of my idols, anyway, along with all the contestants on “American Idol.” One of Churchill’s many famous quotes … Continue reading →