I wrote a LinkedIn post. I feel dirty. I’m a writer. I value words. I value meaning. I value connection. LinkedIn is devoid of all that. The LinkedIn style is short sentences, toxic positivity, endless and unexpected life and career lessons, relentless brand building. Personality is discouraged. Paragraphs of more than a sentence or twoContinue reading “Reflections Upon a LinkedIn Post”
Category Archives: Life
Scenes from the Occupation
I was in Washington on Sunday. Congressional Cemetery was having a winter fair, and as I hadn’t been to Congressional Cemetery to visit my family there this year, this seemed like the right time to go. I love Washington. My mom said many years ago that I should live there… and I should! I justContinue reading “Scenes from the Occupation”
In the Dairy Aisle
Friday afternoon, after going to the bank — Pennsylvania still is not depositing my unemployment checks to my back account, despite updating my banking information three times — I stopped at the grocery store on the way home. I knew I needed to for some reason as I drove down Springwood Road, and then itContinue reading “In the Dairy Aisle”
Moonrise over Pennsylvania
A chilly early evening. I’m going to listen to WAMU’s Hot Jazz Saturday Night and call it a day.
Thoughts on a Grim December Morn
No, they don’t have Christmas in Kentucky There’s no holly on a West Virginia door For the trees don’t twinkle when you’re hungry And the jingle bells don’t jingle when you’re poor — Phil Ochs, “Christmas in Kentucky” The weather forecast for today was all over the map. Something wintry, that was definite. Accumulation? Snow?Continue reading “Thoughts on a Grim December Morn”
The First Snow of the Season
I called my mom on Thursday for Thanksgiving. She wanted to know how much snow I had on the ground. “None,” I said. It had been sixty degrees a day or two before. “But if I’m remembering correctly, it looks like there’s a chance of snow early next week. Monday or Tuesday.” Today is Sunday.Continue reading “The First Snow of the Season”
A Case Study
I’m getting better at backgammon, winning about half the time I play now. Sometimes I can even demolish xgammon pretty thoroughly. This morning’s game was like that… until the moment that it wasn’t. I thought I was going to have it in the bag, until I didn’t. Let’s go through it. Here’s an interesting position.Continue reading “A Case Study”
“I Need to See Mountains Again, Gandalf”
I’ve been down in Virginia recently, and I stopped on occasion to take photos of mountains. A little too late in the year for the fall foliage, unfortunately, but still, there were some lovely vistas.
Excitement in Yoe
Some excitement in the apartment complex this morning. There were massive, howling winds last night. I mistakenly opened the door to see what was happening, and my living room filled with leaves. (I decided that could wait for morning. I wasn’t throwing leaves back into the wind.) This morning, drinking my coffee, there came soundsContinue reading “Excitement in Yoe”
A Hard-Fought Victory
It seems unlikely, but I won this game of backgammon. Look at that. I have four pieces pinned in white’s home quadrant. I would have to roll a seven — an impossibility on a D6 — to even get one piece out, let alone four. But things developed quickly. White began consolidating his pieces intoContinue reading “A Hard-Fought Victory”