We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you…

Skiing. Because it’s winter. Suck it El Nino, after a pissy St. Louis type start to the season we finally got some motherfucking snow. So I’ve been skiing pretty much every god damned day, because I have no faith that it’s going to last longer than a week. And by skiing I mean cross country skiing. Because I only go down hills that I am capable of skiing up. I consider this a good rule of thumb for preserving my ACL. Aging sucks.

But I am in better shape at the moment than I have been since… probably June. When you get to 47 you have a decision to make. Exercise, or Scotch. Thankfully, this is not a yes / no question.

So I exercise in the hopes of extending my life long enough to maximize my Scotch enjoyment. Because really, a life without Scotch just isn’t worth living.

In other news I’m looking at property in Thunder Bay. Because God damn climate change. Or maybe just Grand Marais, because I am not sure I could put up with a bunch of Prius driving Canadians all the god damned time.

Oh… Happy New Year!

Now you kids get off of my lawn!

3 words

Language is an amazing thing. A seemingly limitless construct of symbols that can be used to classify and represent the world we discover around us. This was brought home to me the other day outside of a Dunkin’ Donuts in suburban Philadelphia. There, on an advert were three seemingly innocuous words, arranged in a way that I could never have imagined.

Three simple straight forward words, whose individual meanings were solid, and clear, and un ambiguous. But, placed together these words transformed themselves into a concept so new, and revolutionary that my mind was completely blown.

Like a Zen koan, they opened my mind to an entirely new and undiscovered level of consciousness.

Snickerdoodle Croissant Donut.

The world is an amazing place.

A place filled with mystery and wonder.

Also donuts.

bleh

I hate El Nino years. Crappy, wet, warm winters that are just depressing as hell. It’s December 14th and it’s pouring rain. If I wanted to live in frigging St. Louis I’d move to frigging St. Louis god-dammit.

Yeah, I know, global warming isn’t going to make it any better either. That’s why I continue to dream about moving further north. Lake Superior maybe, even though it’s raining there too. At least then I could look out at the big water, and watch for ships. But down here on this soggy prairie? Just more waiting, and hoping as my skis gather dust in the corner of the garage.

Baby Jessica

Deep down at the bottom of the well

The world is reduced to a circle of white,

Like a moon in a starless sky

So bright it hurts your eyes

And blinds you to everything

So you stare downward

Into darkness

Into silence

So quiet that not even sad songs can reach you

Just your thoughts which have their own voice

Movement the only thing scarier than sitting still