What was your first boss like?

Again I have a problem with the question…It seems this will be my lot with this particular endeavor, having to define the question for myself in order to give an answer which seems worthy of the time to write (or read). For example, this question is “What Was Your First Boss Like?” To be honest, I’m not sure. I’d have to think of my first job and again, not sure I can do that.

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What was your first big trip?

aj-1Here it is, my first question from StoryWorth and already off to a rocky start. I read the question and immediately started pondering what was meant by “big trip?” How far back did I go? Was it in reference to an important trip or one of a huge duration? Naturally, it was Rasa who solved the dilemma. Continue reading “What was your first big trip?”

StoryWorth

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com

I just got a fascinating holiday gift from my great friend and (sometimes) writing partner Troy and his wife Katie. It’s from a company called StoryWorth and the basic premise is pretty simple – at regular intervals (anywhere from once a day to once a month) they email you a question. You then answer it in as much or as little detail as you wish and email it back to them.

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It Finally Happened…

IMG_7307.jpegIt seems like I haven’t written anything here in a while. Part of me wants to say that’s because not much has been happening, that we’ve been trapped in the house due to the pandemic and life has just sort of…stopped. But that’s not true. Not in any sense, really. Continue reading “It Finally Happened…”

Do Something

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“Do something.”

Strangest words I ever heard from a professor regarding an assignment, but that was exactly what Dr. Felicia Campbell, who passed away July 27 from Covid-19 complications, announced as the details of a class project. “Just do … something,” she’d reiterate when questioned by a student who didn’t quite understand the freedom of the directive. “It doesn’t matter what you do, you just have to do something.” Continue reading “Do Something”

On Maps and Knowing Where Things Are

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https://brilliantmaps.com/superhero-nyc/

I really love maps. They’re great for showing all sorts of really cool data about any number of things. And doing it in a way which makes it easy to read and understand. Like this one here, next to what you’re reading, it’s a map of New York City, showing the homes/working areas of a number of top superheroes.

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On the Search for the Silver Lining…

silver-lining-clouds_786_524_sJust trying to parse some stuff here. In the past, a friend or two would contact me to tell me of something negative in their lives and I would respond by trying to trying to cheer them up. Then a few days ago, another friend was having a bad experience and I was responding the way I usually do to which the response came: “I appreciate the search for a silver lining.” Continue reading “On the Search for the Silver Lining…”

Clowning around…

I have a number of good friends who are now or have been at one time professional clowns. I’ve spent a good deal of time the last several years traveling and hanging out with some amazingly funny people. In the past I’ve lived with clowns, worked with clowns, consulted with clowns, written about… you get the idea. In fact, had the world gone a little differently, I might have ended up one myself. I’ve certainly been offered the opportunity.

Needless to say, I have a deep love, admiration and respect for the artform. Thankfully, I’m not the only one and a few years ago, David Carlyon wrote a great piece for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival called American Clowns: Performance, History, and Cliché, which looks at all those different factors in the world of clowning.

Birthdays – 2020 edition

Party decorationsWell, this week, Monki and I turned a collective 57 (or, on average, 28 1/2 each). Personally, I think get the better side of that since in reality I’ve just turned 53 (Holy shit that’s a big number) and she’s just turned 4 (which, in its own way, is also a really big number). Continue reading “Birthdays – 2020 edition”

Advice

how-to-give-advice-in-englishNow, about four years into this whole fatherhood thing, I’m realizing something I only understood intellectually before – I don’t know shit. When talking to my friend AAron the other day, we were discussing child-rearing and I conceded that yes, I would probably screw up Monki somewhere along the way. No matter how much we try to do the right things in the right way, we (and, let’s face it, all parents) are going to screw up and make mistakes. Continue reading “Advice”

Well, this is random…

DiceI like Kickstarter. I also like Etsy. Hell, I like shopping at independent bookstores and supporting my local (even though it’s 5000 miles away) comic book shop, Alternate Reality. Honestly, I try to do whatever I can to support small businesses. But really, none of that is the point of this particular post. Continue reading “Well, this is random…”

So I’m doing something a little crazy

Badge makes me a writer I knew I needed something to kick my brain into gear so I thought I would take a page from SFWA Grandmaster Ray Bradbury.

Bradbury, when he was starting out, sat down to write a short story a week. This seemed like a good idea to me, something to get me practicing a little more. As we all know, I need to figure out ways to get myself motivated and I figured I could sit down and, one day a week, write a story. Continue reading “So I’m doing something a little crazy”