Here is my brother, trying to keep his breakfast nosh away from the lovely Miss Zoe, a Rhodesian Ridgeback of questionable virtue, at least as far as begging goes. When her owner (my nephew Sean) is around, she is as good as gold, but if he's out of sight, she morphs into a Beggar Extraordinaire. Yesterday morning she stood at the kitchen table eyeing our donuts -- practically willing them into her mouth -- but... Read more →
The God of UPS smiled upon me today. This package was supposed to arrive tomorrow. Normally this would be fine and dandy, but we are planning on booking out of here early for Ocean City and this is not the kind of package that I would want to have sitting on the front stoop for three days, especially since it's likely to rain. I figured I would call the UPS distribution center near us and... Read more →
I have decided that I really want to be a member of the idle rich. I have not come to this decision lightly; no, I have given it a lot of thought and I have realized that I have all of the qualifications, to wit: I enjoy sitting on my ass. I am quite willing to let other people shampoo my hair, massage my back, and scrape the calluses off my feet. I float on... Read more →
I love mondegreens, those misheard snippets of speech or lyrics that always make me smile. I guess we've all misheard lines or lyrics and formed our own interpretations and conclusions. When I was in second grade at Catlick school, we all had to learn the Act of Contrition to prepare for our first confession. I was convinced that the first line of the prayer was: Oh my God, I am hardly sorry for having offended... Read more →
Today I learned of the passing of Denver Doug, who kept the online journal The Wondering Jew. Doug was 87, and had been keeping a journal and a blog for over eight years. I found him through other journals and loved his entries, from his memories of growing up to his political rants to his heartfelt days of caring for his beloved wife. His love for his family shone through his writing. He commented on... Read more →
Wirewalking is one of my very favorite circus arts. I never mastered it, but I've always loved it. My very favorite act from my circus was Herbie Weber, a great wire dancer. So when I read an article on Salon.com about Man on Wire, the documentary about Philippe Petit's incredible tightwire walk between the towers of the World Trade Center, I knew that I would have to see it. And so we did, yesterday, at... Read more →
I spent Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week in Florida. Oh, how fun! I hear you cry. Three days in sunny Florida! I flew down on Monday, arriving in Orlando in time to check in to my hotel, order room service, and watch the Olympics through my eyelids. On Tuesday, I attended a three-hour training session. I was there to observe and judge how well the materials worked. The session was actually quite good... Read more →
Last Sunday Joe and I went out to lunch. In Leesburg, Virginia. It's a goodly distance away -- almost 41 miles -- but it's a very scenic route. In fact, the route involves crossing the Potomac River at White's Ferry. The ferryboat itself is named the General Jubal Early, after the Confederate general. The main office and general store is on the Maryland side of the river. It includes a big picnic area and a... Read more →
Now I know where to direct my prayers before a public speaking gig. Yes! Our Lady of the Presentation! Read more →