Dearest Rachel – Daniel fell asleep by eight-thirty last night, and I shut everything down and attempted to do likewise shortly thereafter. We knew we would have to be off the ship by eight, so we would have to start our morning absurdly early in order to make sure we would be able to getContinue reading “Terminal Conditions”
Category Archives: Along the Way
Views from the Port Side
Dearest Rachel – I understand that we don’t necessarily have a say in where our stateroom is located on the ship when we sign up for a cruise. Half of the passengers will get starboard cabins, and the other half will be on the port side. It rather has to be that way, otherwise weContinue reading “Views from the Port Side”
For the Last Time
Dearest Rachel – “Tomorrow at this time…” Daniel’s voice trails off as we ascend the escalator into Tokyo’s International Port building. He doesn’t need to finish the thought; we both know we’ll be taking this same route through the building thirty or so hours from now, as we prepare to make our way to theContinue reading “For the Last Time”
Ever In Our Favor
Dearest Rachel – First off, I suppose I need to thank you. All of the time, I’m asking you to keep an eye on us, and other things as well from time to time. But when things pan out as well or better than expected, I really need to express my appreciation. Between you andContinue reading “Ever In Our Favor”
Misty Motomachi Morning
Dearest Rachel – After having written you earlier this morning, I passed by the gangplank on my way back to the room. It was posted there that we passengers needed to be back on board the ship by one o’clock, so that we could leave Kobe for Shimizu by five. That meant that, in aContinue reading “Misty Motomachi Morning”
Staying Put… or Not
Dearest Rachel – Eight a.m., and we’re eating breakfast overlooking the enormous (compared to most of our other stops, including Tokyo; the roof is even with the level of the upper-deck cafe) station at the Kobe harbor. We’re going to be here until five in the evening tomorrow. Well, ‘we’ as in the passengers onContinue reading “Staying Put… or Not”
The Journey is the Destination
Dearest Rachel – Last night’s trip was a curious one; even though they pulled up the gangplank shortly after six in Hiroshima, we still hadn’t left port even after we ate, retired to the room, and Daniel fell asleep waiting for me to finish assembling certain documents for church and send them off, so weContinue reading “The Journey is the Destination”
Rain and Sun
Dearest Rachel – You may have noticed from the picture I sent you this morning while en route that the sky was dark and cloudy. That was not because it was early in the morning in the sun had risen (although admittedly, it was early in the morning, but the sun was, theoretically, up), butContinue reading “Rain and Sun”
Stretching the Experience
Dearest Rachel – April continues to move on, and we’ve made our way as far south as we wil. It’s finally warm enough for us to go around in T-shirts (not that Daniel is willing to shed his layers of clothing just yet), so we sit on the veranda balcony as we wait for ourContinue reading “Stretching the Experience”
With a Little Help
Dearest Rachel – Well, here we are. It’s wild to realize we’re still only about halfway through our trip around Japan at this point. But for the moment, we aren’t in Japan, which is likely to be more of a challenge for us than you’d think. As I explained earlier, we can neither read, speakContinue reading “With a Little Help”
Super Dry
Dearest Rachel – This might be a bizarre introductory topic, but I know you would bear with me as I get started this morning. That was the beauty of our relationship, or any such relationship (I assume): we were each more than willing to hop on each other’s train of thought, and see where itContinue reading “Super Dry”
Taking it Easy (Relatively Speaking)
Dearest Rachel – I confess to not being entirely at ease at breakfast; the dining room has what Daniel wants to eat today, but it opens an hour later than the other places serving breakfast, and gives us but and hour to eat and prepare ourselves to head out on our tour. But somehow weContinue reading “Taking it Easy (Relatively Speaking)”
Broken Morning
Dearest Rachel – I have to confess, I’m not really sure what time zone I’m functioning on at this point. I only know it’s not really the one that I should be on. Since there’s nothing particularly interesting in terms of entertainment after dinner (unless I want to stay up until 11 or so, toContinue reading “Broken Morning”
The Sacred and the Secular in the City of the Savior
Dearest Rachel – We hear the bleat of a horn (and I’m not kidding – it drops a tone mid-honk) as we step off the bus this morning. It’s normal for the inhabitants, but it’s odd for us to land on an angle this steep. At least it’s easy to make our way out ofContinue reading “The Sacred and the Secular in the City of the Savior”
Not Going South Just Yet
Dearest Rachel – It’s 8 a.m., and we’re underway – to some applause, as we actually pulled out at 7:59. Considering that I felt like I was being order to be ready to go by 7:45 (and I know, I shouldn’t take it personally if I’m not the one guilty of being late) I don’tContinue reading “Not Going South Just Yet”
“I Was Told There’d Be Outlets”
Dearest Rachel – I’m not sure that I want this to become frequent enough to be routine; there’s a certain point at which, I’m sure, travel loses its luster. That being said, I would certainly prefer to be sufficiently accustomed to the process to not feel so queasy every time I arrive at the airport.Continue reading ““I Was Told There’d Be Outlets””
Not Suited for the Season
Dearest Rachel – Halloween was never celebrated much at our place, was it? What with it being on a major thoroughfare, our house was only ever visited a handful of times at best on any given year. and that was before we were dealing with things like the pandemic and social distancing and the polarizationContinue reading “Not Suited for the Season”
Back to the N.C.E.R.
“You don’t know how lucky you are, boys…” Dearest Rachel – This morning, there was a bit of a change in plans. I had originally intended to walk to the ‘office,’ in order to get in my ten thousand steps (which is the subject of another letter I’ll have to owe you for later), butContinue reading “Back to the N.C.E.R.”
My Shoulders and the Wheel
“Ssssoooo…” the voice to my left hissed into my ear, smug and self-satisfied, “how was your weekend with the LAY-deeeez?” There was a singsong note to his question, as if he was mocking me about it – which, let’s face it, he was. He’d conned me into agreeing to go up to camp, every bitContinue reading “My Shoulders and the Wheel”
The Lonely Cricket
Dearest Rachel – It seems that there is a cricket that lives inside the workers’ cabin. I say that because it’s too loud to be coming from outside when I’m sitting in the cabin, trying to stay out of everybody’s way. And while one might think that the chirping is too much to be comingContinue reading “The Lonely Cricket”
…And Always Too Soon
Dearest Rachel – I’m not entirely sure why Lili von Schtupp’s solo number from Blazing Saddles is running through my head. It seems that both of my letters today are inspired by one song or another (not that this one is at all relevant to the situation at hand). It’s probably due to the factContinue reading “…And Always Too Soon”
September Morn
Dearest Rachel – You would think that, of a holiday weekend, there would be more children playing in their lawns, more people out and about working around the house or walking their pets. It’s not as if I’m out and about at an obscenely early hour in the morning, after all; yes, I woke upContinue reading “September Morn”
Wandering Through the Aftermath
Dearest Rachel – The breeze is cool this morning as I step outside, or at least, it’s cool for the month of August. The sun, while exulting in its complete dominance of a cloudless sky, and intense enough that I need to maintain a near-permanent squint as I make my way east across shadeless sectionsContinue reading “Wandering Through the Aftermath”
Gray Over Tan
Dearest Rachel – After a weekend of completely overcast skies – and the rain to go with it – today is only partially gray. And I’m fine with that. It’s nice that I don’t have to worry about it threatening to rain again today – the sun’s out just enough to assure me of that.Continue reading “Gray Over Tan”
Broken Guardrails
Dearest Rachel – So, this morning I was out walking to the ‘office’ for the first time in longer than I’d care to admit. Not only had it been a long time since I walked, the weather first thing in the morning was ideal for it, being bright, sunny and with temperatures in the midContinue reading “Broken Guardrails”
With the Sun at My Back
Dearest Rachel – It may not the most efficient way to travel, or the most glamorous, but it gets the job done. The old Irish blessing is that the wind should be at your back, rather than the sun. That way, you can be propelled along by the breeze, speeding you to your destination withContinue reading “With the Sun at My Back”
Snippets From the First Night
Dearest Rachel – I try to limit myself to no more than four letters in any given day to you; however, there are so many little things that happen at a convention that are worthy of comment, and there’s no one to comment to anymore. So I’m just gonna put together a collection of paragraphsContinue reading “Snippets From the First Night”
Brill-Ain’t
Dearest Rachel – I know that you can’t be expected to know about all the books in my library, any more than I could about yours (until Jan and I had to go through it all, and decide what I was likely to read or not and treat accordingly). However, you might recall that I’veContinue reading “Brill-Ain’t”
Walking Out the Door
Dearest Rachel – It really feels weird to simply walk out the open door and keep going, but that’s how things are this morning. The tiling team is in today to work on the backsplash, so they need to keep going outside, where they’ve got their table saw out to cut each piece to fit.Continue reading “Walking Out the Door”
Suddenly Summer
Dearest Rachel – It’s a commonly-held truism here in the Chicago area (and, now that I think about it, throughout the Midwest – so you’d be just as familiar with it as I) that “if you don’t like the weather around here, just wait five minutes.” It’s an exaggeration to make a humorous point, ofContinue reading “Suddenly Summer”
Muzzling the Help
Dearest Rachel – Well, it’s almost time. I’ve gotten word from the installers, and they’ll be out to begin work in either two or three weeks from now. With that in mind, I need to pack everything up from the kitchen and the laundry room. That means enlisting Jan’s help, and getting together as manyContinue reading “Muzzling the Help”
The Wit and Wisdom of Strangers’ Shirts
Dearest Rachel – Since you expressed yourself so much through the clothes you wore (particularly, your T-shirts), I probably should tell you about a few that I’ve been seeing as I’ve gone about the ship from time to time. Most of them are fairly straightforward, with favored bands, sports teams and alma maters, but everyContinue reading “The Wit and Wisdom of Strangers’ Shirts”
Makin’ My Way Downtown
Dearest Rachel – I’m sure you’ve picked up by now the fact that I feel like a man out of place. For the last thirty hours or so, I’ve been a man out of time as well. For whatever reason, when we were paused outside of Kingston, my phone switched over to what I presumeContinue reading “Makin’ My Way Downtown”
A Perfect Day?
Dearest Rachel – Do you remember this place, honey? Well, I’m back here. Hadn’t actually planned to be – originally, the itinerary had us docking in Nassau today, but some of the passengers were sent an incorrect itinerary, and the cruise line discovered (not sure how, as I don’t recall being asked one way orContinue reading “A Perfect Day?”
A Call From Out of Nowhere
Dearest Rachel – This is why I answer the phone, regardless of whether i recognize the number or not. You just never know… This afternoon, the phone rang, and while the number didn’t look familiar, it was a Chicago number, so it wasn’t as if it was from just anywhere. To be sure, I didContinue reading “A Call From Out of Nowhere”
And So It Continues…
Dearest Rachel – It’s tricky writing to you from the A/V booth, especially during rehearsal. Never mind the fact that dictating to Siri is basically impossible (and even if I tried to do it, it would still be kind of rude); I basically need to be reacting to the band’s needs at any given momentContinue reading “And So It Continues…”
Present People
Dearest Rachel – I’ve mentioned before to you that I’ve had some difficulty with regard to the traditional gift exchange that is a part of Christmas: what do I want, or more to the point, what can they get for me? Materially speaking, I have pretty much anything I need, and if Daniel or IContinue reading “Present People”
Funny False Alarms
Dearest Rachel – I won’t go so far as to say there is nothing funnier than a false alarm. I’ve stood outside the dorm room at three or four in the morning with a cold and a then-ineffective dose of Nyquil in my system after spiders apparently got into the fire alarm system at Wesleyan,Continue reading “Funny False Alarms”
One Last Walk Around
Dearest Rachel – When I got back to the hotel yesterday, after standing, exhausted, in the middle of Marktplatz, and settled in to update you on my travels for the morning, it was at that moment the sun deigned to stick his head out. I swear the old boy was mocking me. But it justContinue reading “One Last Walk Around”
Cheap Eats, If You Need Them
Dearest Rachel – So I’m back to the hotel yet again this morning, and it’s barely ten. This time, at least, I’ve gone through the antigen test (there was nobody in line! It pays to wait!) – turns out, they only needed to swab one nostril rather than the two we had to do backContinue reading “Cheap Eats, If You Need Them”
‘Lost’ in Basel
Dearest Rachel – It’s a bit of a misnomer to say this about myself. Especially in the daytime; the old city isn’t that big that you can truly get lost in it. You just aren’t where you want to be. I determined that I wanted to check out the Cartoonmuseum; the Kunstmuseum is just aContinue reading “‘Lost’ in Basel”
Winding Up for Winding Down
Dearest Rachel – Monday morning in Basel, and I think I’ve had the most solid sleep of my time here; went to bed around eleven, and didn’t wake up until seven-thirty. May have dreamed about solving some problems back at the old workplace, but it’s hardly worth commenting upon. I’m feeling like I should takeContinue reading “Winding Up for Winding Down”
No Longer Barefoot
Dearest Rachel – It is the weirdest thing to realize this is the first time I’ve had socks or shoes on since last Sunday. I’ve had no reason to wear them. I’m also having to put on more than just a T-shirt or a polo, for once. Hey it’s in the single digits Celsius outContinue reading “No Longer Barefoot”
Falling Night, Rising Wings
Dearest Rachel – Between the time we board the plane and the moment of liftoff, the sky fades from the edge of twilight to nearly pitch darkness. This is how things are as we approach winter, after all. The cabin steward, noticing my coughing (although at first he confused it for a sneeze and offeredContinue reading “Falling Night, Rising Wings”
At the Scene
Dearest Rachel – From the very first moment this trip was planned, where the team would run from church to camp, I had no idea whether I would be able to stand here. Once I was here, however, it seemed inappropriate for me not to come here. There’s no indication from the way things lookContinue reading “At the Scene”
NYC It Ain’t
Dearest Rachel – It’s one of those things you don’t necessarily think about while planning, but is absolutely imperative. In fact, it almost goes without saying, although by doing so, one runs the risk of forgetting just how necessary it is to bear in mind, so I might as well point it out: much asContinue reading “NYC It Ain’t”
Restless Leg Syndrome
Dearest Rachel – The others tell me that this is perfect weather for this kind of running. And while it’s quite true that whatever form of precipitation the heavens might see fit to drop upon us has finally ceased, I continue to question their definition. I do understand the desire for cooler temperatures when exertingContinue reading “Restless Leg Syndrome”
The Foggy Dark
Dearest Rachel – It’s barely 5 o’clock, and it’s gone completely dark. We’ve just reached the next checkpoint; the first one where people riding in my van will be taking up the baton. Well, not literally… As it turns out they’re using several snap wristbands to pass on from runner to runner as each legContinue reading “The Foggy Dark”
NOW I Remember
Dearest Rachel – It turns out that one of the runners – or maybe he was just from the place where the group rented the vans from – was from the place we donated Daniel’s old used VW just a week or two before the accident. He was telling Jim and me about he hadContinue reading “NOW I Remember”
Doing It His Way
Dearest Rachel – Not all of my trips across town are terribly interesting. Certainly this mornings wasn’t, unless you count the fact that I had to deliver some mail to the folks that share our address. I didn’t recognize the name on the envelope, and whoever sent it didn’t bother to specify whether South orContinue reading “Doing It His Way”
And I Say, “It’s All Right”
Dearest Rachel – Well, after two whole days of barely acknowledging us, it seems that the sun is back, and it’s nice to see him. Even if he is in my face in either direction that I walk. Not that that’s a complaint I’m ever going to take up with my grandchildren: “You kids haveContinue reading “And I Say, “It’s All Right””
Peripatetic Plans
Dearest Rachel – It’s five o’clock in the morning. I have absolutely no idea what might be going on in Erin‘s head right now – or in any of the other runners. For my own part, even as I’m sitting on my bed in the pitch dark, wondering whether to begin the day, I’ve gotContinue reading “Peripatetic Plans”
Gotta Go Slower
Dearest Rachel – It’s been about a week and a half since the last time I walked to the office. Most of last week, of course, has been because Kevin has been over, but it isn’t as if I walk every day when I actually cross town, either. Yesterday, I was concerned about the threatContinue reading “Gotta Go Slower”
Not the Worst Way to Make an Impression
Dearest Rachel – Another day, another walk to the ‘office.’ With a stop or two along the way; there are always things that need to be done, after all. First of which was to stop by the bank and drop off my payment for property taxes. I know they’re not due for another week orContinue reading “Not the Worst Way to Make an Impression”
Losing Track
Dearest Rachel – It was probably a bad call on my part, but I decided not to walk to the ‘office’ this morning. Well, there was a reason behind it: I had assumed I’d be walking this evening with Erin at Melas Park. But you know that old saying about what happens when you assumeContinue reading “Losing Track”
The Return Trip
God, grant us strength todayAs we go our separate ways.Though we do not know quite when,Shield us ’til we meet again. me, this morning Dearest Rachel – And so it goes, as they say in Tralfamadore. It’s time (and past time, compared to almost everyone else) to return to life as usual… whatever that isContinue reading “The Return Trip”
Observations Along The Way
Dearest Rachel – Depending on when I leave the house, I can (and do) run into a number of people along the way. And I have to admit, I can’t seem to prevent myself from commenting on some of the things I see. To borrow from the legendary Yogi Berra, “you can observe a lotContinue reading “Observations Along The Way”
Early Morning in a Strange City
Let’s go up on the roof beneath the neonPretend we’re foreigners and drink the city inSomewhere between the stairwell and the starlightI find myself holding your hand Mark Heard, “Love is Not the Only Thing,” from Second Hand, 1992 Dearest Rachel – I’d kind of like to start this letter off like a conversation: youContinue reading “Early Morning in a Strange City”
A Fondness for Funfairs
Dearest Rachel – Pulling into Melas Park, where I usually meet Erin to walk together on Tuesdays, I noticed that the parking lot we both usually use is unavailable. Turns out, while my village and Erin’s city have both canceled their annual Independence Day festivals, the town located between the two (which is why weContinue reading “A Fondness for Funfairs”
Letters to Rachel 