I’ve been sleeping outside lately. I’ve never done it much before, but the weather has been so beautiful and tempting that I got a cheap tent on my birthday. Initially I had it set up inside the skeleton of my half-complete garage so my daughter and I could play in it, which we did, but in order to get some sleep, I’d need to get serious and put some pegs in the ground somewhere and whatnot. So it’s set up right outside my bedroom. (more…)

I had a rehearsal in Albuquerque, the first with Joy Harjo and her band, and it was fun. As I was picking up my last load of equipment, I hopped up the low stage, maybe 2 and a half feet, but I didn’t see the lip around the bottom. My sandal caught under the lip, and that mashed my toes into the stage as though I’d kicked it as hard as I could. The followup trip and BOOM onto the stage looked a little dramatic, but I played it off like nothing happened and stoically loaded my last equipment into my car. I sat in the drivers seat for a second and when I grabbed the 3 middle toes on my right foot, “something warn’t right,” and pain shot up my neck. I’d broken at least one toe again, I do it at least once a year. (more…)

I’ve been accused by those close to me to be occasionally… well, dark. Downright cynical even. This is not new, and it doesn’t bother me. I definitely have a pessimistic streak, but it’s not overpowering; I’m definitely not a pessimist, I just don’t think every cloud has a silver lining. (more…)

I’m like Christopher Walken in the Deadzone - with computers. I get eerie insights into how and when a computer’s going to die, or have a bad experience. Usually just from touching it. I’ve been having those feelings about my laptop, and once my subconcious tricks me into actually backing up important files, well, buckle up. Something’s going to go down. (more…)

We adopted two kittens 3 or so months ago. One of our friends needed to place them, and we went and looked with the intention of taking one home for all the normal reasons - daughter loves animals, wife loves animals, husband loves dogs, rodents invade our cars. You know. We were very cautious and patient about introducing them to our dogs, who are all older and haven’t lived much with cats. (To be fair, we had a cat when we got our first dog; and Sheba, having lived on the streets of Jersey, knew cats well, but not in any reassuring way.) When they were all finally introduced, it couldn’t have gone better. Our house was filled with cute cats-trying-to-play-with-old-dogs scenarios and general kitten mayhem. (more…)

I was just shopping at my local grocery store. I’m in the checkout line as someone else is finishing, all my stuff is on the conveyer belt thing, and I remembered that my wife asked me to pick up some chocolate that she likes. It’s not far from the cash register, so I bolt and get it. The cashier’s started ringing me up, and he gives me a look. The look reminded me of a similar one I was going to get if I forgot the Diet Coke that Anette’s sister had requested and was one of the main points of my little jaunt to the store, so I bolted again and brought back 2 two-liter bottles. He was still ringing me up, so I hadn’t really held anyone up, but my man looks genuinely salty. I tried to make a joke, “Do NOT go home without the Diet Coke.” Ha ha ha. He looks at me like I’m a piece of shit, and then gets to my liquor purchase. (more…)