July 12, 2015 Dear United: It’s a beautiful day here at Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Your white planes, with their gray/green logo-festooned tails look particularly striking against the blue-wash sky and gray tarmac. I’m sitting here at Gate 10, surrounded by what is rapidly becoming a small community of marooned souls, and in that group … Continue reading An Open letter to United Airlines, with a Postscript to Southwest: The skies were friendly, the ground – not so much.
It wasn’t until my niece and nephew were 10 and 8 that my life was in a logistical and financial place to take a week off and fly from Milwaukee to Edmonton to visit them. My brother-in-law, who travels a lot, was going to be gone even more often that month and my mother had mentioned … Continue reading Our childhood, the ‘do-over version:’ Brought to you by my sister and starring my niece & nephew
“I just think of all the older gays and lesbians that worked so long and hard for this day, especially the the ones that passed away without getting to see it happen.” Mark Kavouksorian It was during the winter of my freshman year of college that my mother bought a house on Ridge Road. She … Continue reading Before Obergefell v. Hodges, there was Della and Dorothy: a tribute to ‘The Jones Girls’
Once upon a time in another life, I was a music journalist. I started out doing it because I love music and it gave me the opportunity to interview (and in some cases even meet) artists I’d long admired. It also, at a point when I was dirt poor, helped me feed my music habit. … Continue reading Nuggets from my life as a music journalist, featuring Mark Lindsay and the woman formerly known as Bruce Jenner
My sister and I were in our teens when we became members of a group I have come to refer to as “The Dead Father’s Club.” It’s one that few people join voluntarily, though there are exceptions (I’m talking to you, Lizzie Borden and Brian Blackwell). Among its current members are my children, their (step)siblings (who … Continue reading Meeting minutes: ‘Dead Father’s Club’ subcommittee discusses the lighter side of ‘Father’s Day Brunch’ ads
I’ve had it. I want to ride my bicycle. I want to ride it where I like. Which is the nursing home. To see Mom and hang with Debby. As soon as I eat something. Repo week is over. There's more to do, but that room will do for now. Thanks for being part of … Continue reading Repo Week – Day 5: Calling it quits and going for a bike ride
Yesterday Sweetheart's brother Tommy came over to help him do some excavating. I'm not sure what they got done, because I was busy fighting with myself over letting go of useless things I wanted to keep. Also, realizing that I was doing my own excavating while listening to Garbage made me feel a bit more cheerful. Cheerful, … Continue reading Repo Week – Day 5: I Can Dream, Can’t I?
Yesterday I reached the place where you decide that starting from scratch would be easier. Which was quickly followed by advice from the voice in my head. “You should have just burned the house down.” Then I thought about the logistics, and of saving my musical instruments (the dog and cat were already outside with … Continue reading Repo Week-Day 4: Burning Down the House would be easier
It doesn’t look different, but I’ve hauled about six bags of stuff out of the room, and am at a part where the sorting is getting hard. Or to paraphrase The Kinks, "I'm in a state of confusion." I want to get the floor emptied and the compact discs boxed and put with the rest … Continue reading Repo Week-Day 3: “State of Confusion”
First off, a shoutout to Bruce Cockburn. Today’s headline is ripped straight from one of his songs. It’s actually the title track of his 1983 release. By the time my office gets to its new normal, it’ll be better. But right now, it’s worse, even though I hauled a bunch of stuff out yesterday. Some … Continue reading Repo Week- Day 2: “The trouble with normal/is it always gets worse”
the sentence factory 