Ten years ago today, I received a surprising e-mail. Christmas Eve 1999 was a strange day. That was the day of the infamous company Christmas party layoffs, where as some of us walked into the party we were pulled aside by our supervisors and told we weren’t needed on the 26th. This does not aContinue reading “On a Christmas Eve Past”
Category Archives: Life
On Morning with my Grandmother
My grandmother doesn’t appear to have gotten any sleep last night. I locked the house up, shut off the tree, and went to bed. The television was still on, however; she usually sleeps through the night with it on, so it made sense not to mess with it. When the alarm went off, I heardContinue reading “On Morning with my Grandmother”
On the Day After
The snow began falling at 10 o’clock Friday night. Work, last week, being what it was, prompted a number of us at the office to go to the local Irish pub after work. At the time, the forecast was calling for about twelve inches of snow. At the pub, one of the graphic designers passedContinue reading “On the Day After”
On Fixing the Phone
Thursday night I stood in the kitchen, and I heard something. It sounded like music. It sounded like the kind of music the Nintendo or the Super Nintendo would have made back in the day. But where was it coming from? What could be making it? I turned my head this way and that, wanderedContinue reading “On Fixing the Phone”
On Christmas Shopping for my Grandmother
Today, I bought Christmas presents for my grandmother. Buying presents for my grandmother is difficult because it is pointless. Anything important is lost upon her, anything useful would go unused. Her birthday, which falls on Christmas Eve, is even more difficult; she understands that the day is someone‘s birthday, but she cannot recollect that itContinue reading “On Christmas Shopping for my Grandmother”
On a Shortage of Christmas Tree Stands
My sister called. I couldn’t tell if she was laughing or if she was crying. There’s a Christmas tree stand shortage in Raleigh. She’d bought a tree at Lowe’s. She needed a stand. They were out. She went to Target. She went to Wal-Mart. She went to Kmart. She went to the grocery store. Someone,Continue reading “On a Shortage of Christmas Tree Stands”
On Snows and Rains
I woke this morning to the patter of rain upon the roof. The forecast for last night had called for rain. Torrential rains. Flash flood warnings. A far cry from the weekend, indeed. Five inches of snow fell on Saturday. Some melted away on Sunday — though the temperature barely climbed above freezing all day,Continue reading “On Snows and Rains”
On the First Real Snowfall
For reasons that pass beyond understanding, I set my alarm clock last night. The trilling of the clock at six came as an unwelcome interruption to sleep on a Saturday. The damage was done, however, and I went downstairs and put on a pot of coffee. At 6:30, the snow had not yet begun. AContinue reading “On the First Real Snowfall”
On Wintry Aches and Pains
And… …I am in massive pain. It’s the old foot ailment. The story, for those coming late, is this. In college I, being the excitable person that I am, would spring from bed, jumping out of the top bunk and onto the hard tile floor. In time, this proved to be a stupid thing toContinue reading “On Wintry Aches and Pains”
On Momentary Life Lulls
Life’s in a bit of a lull at the moment. This will pass.