Friday Shore Leave begins. For the first time in fifteen years, I won’t be there. The Annapolis Irish Festival also begins Friday. Carbon Leaf is one of the headliners. I’m attending that instead. This wasn’t an easy decision to make. Allyn Agonistes. Shore Leave, I’ve attended every year since 2001. (And I went to theContinue reading “Choosing Irish Music over a Science Fiction Convention”
Category Archives: Life
Wrestle Beetles… and Win!
I am sore. Muscles ache that I didn’t know I had. Yesterday afternoon I swapped the wheels from the old Beetle to the new. The old Beetle had new tires, the new Beetle had old. And, let’s be frank — on a purely aesthetic level, I liked the rims on the old Beetle far moreContinue reading “Wrestle Beetles… and Win!”
Things Seen and Unseen
The things you can see — the Pride of the Susquehanna tied to its pier, the lights of FNB Field after a tough loss for the Harrisburg Senators (and as they prepare for the Scouts to camp out overnight on the outfield), the fading twilight after sunset, Jupiter a few degrees from the waxing crescentContinue reading “Things Seen and Unseen”
A Rainy Fourth of July
Over the weekend, I thought about going to Washington, DC for A Capitol Fourth. I’ve gone twice before, so it wouldn’t have been anything new, but I’ve been feeling the creeping need of late to spend time in, as they like to call it on CBS’ BrainDead, “this town.” But the weather forecast for theContinue reading “A Rainy Fourth of July”
Evening in Dallastown
Just after dusk I carried a laundry basket up the stairs in the parking lot, on thecway back to my apartment from the laundry facility. There, hovering over my building was Jupiter, shining brightly in thr sky just after sunset when few stars had emerged from the glow. To the east, furious and incandescent, wasContinue reading “Evening in Dallastown”
Replacing the Beetle — Starting Up a GoFundMe Fundraiser
My friend and companion through many adventures over eleven years, my Volkswagen Beetle made its last ride the week of Memorial Day. Now I need to replace it, and for help with that, I’ve started a GoFundMe campaign. Who are you? I’m Allyn Gibson, a writer. I’ve published some short fiction over the years, includingContinue reading “Replacing the Beetle — Starting Up a GoFundMe Fundraiser”
Life in Dallastown
Last weekend I ran into one of my neighbors in my apartment complex’s laundry facility; she was taking her laundry out, I was taking mine in. She and her husband live in the building across from mine. Two winters ago, I helped them dig their cars out after a particularly nasty blizzard. Otherwise, I’ve neverContinue reading “Life in Dallastown”
The Shapes of Clouds
Even the clouds are Game of Thrones fans; this one is a map of Westeros. A few months ago at work, I had to write a description of a Game of Thrones map. It’s something I’ve seen many times before, and for the first time it struck me that the map must be a MercatorContinue reading “The Shapes of Clouds”
A Breakdown on the Expressway
This is a thing that happened. The Beetle broke down on 83 coming home tonight. I’d stayed at the office until almost seven working on the UK supplement, then headed home. Somewhere around Belfast Road, the Beetle seemed to be sluggish, underpowered. Near exit 31, on the long upcline, the console beeped at me andContinue reading “A Breakdown on the Expressway”
Of Kites and Clouds
I slept in this morning. I needed it. After