The Exquisite Joy of Being Known
“You live!” The woman with the firecracker pixie cut did a double take and bounded for me. We couldn’t remember each other’s …
I’m done intellectualizing grief
I’m one of those people who cries at sappy commercials, especially the extended Thai life insurance ads with the Good Samaritans who …
Confessions, Volume IX: The birthday edition
Well, we’ve arrived at my favorite day of the year, second to Christmas. The day where I can excuse cake for breakfast, …
10 ways to celebrate the end of grading
Like most college professors the day after finals week, I should be grading. The paper piles, more than half-vanquished but still huge, …
Late summer, in snapshots
Although it’s very nearly pumpkin time, the sudden spike of Sacramento heat has me thinking about the lovely last bits of summer. …
A deal with the devil and Christmas is collateral
The fate of Christmas rests on my thighs. Or rather, my ability to make them smaller. You see, I struck a deal …
Guess who’s a Wildcat?
I was a good 25 minutes up the road when I realized I’d left my cell phone on the bathroom counter. After …
Six years in the blogosphere: The Blue Muse in review
Seems like just yesterday that I typed my Maiden Voyage post, launching the Blue Muse on August 3, 2009 as a mechanism to …
You took the spot, now stay in it
In formation flying, there’s an important skill called station keeping. This means staying in the correct position relative to other planes in …
Anniversary the fifth
We’d just parked by the fuel pumps after an hour of Bonanza flight training. We’d gone out to get me comfortable in …