Dearest Rachel – So, yesterday, Daniel and I sort of went slumming for Sunday dinner; let’s face it, fast food isn’t exactly what you think of going to after a church service. Just like how one thinks one is supposed to dress up to go to church (not that this happens at our church allContinue reading “Beep Beep”
Category Archives: Updates From the Abandoned Planet
Not Ready For The Cold
Dearest Rachel – Last week, the sun was out, and the days were in the eighties. I could work up a sweat walking through the forest with Lars (and probably needed to). Last night, I was wearing three layers to go to bed comfortably, even with the one space heater on. Such is weather inContinue reading “Not Ready For The Cold”
Plans to be Made
Dearest Rachel – Ask, the saying goes, and you shall receive. No sooner do I put pixels onscreen fretting over the fact that my days lack anything unique worth telling you about, and suddenly I’m flooded with news about one thing or another; most requiring action on my part, and soon. Granted, most of thisContinue reading “Plans to be Made”
Instagramming Myself
Dearest Rachel – I woke up this morning from what felt like a dreamless sleep – by which I mean that I can’t remember a single thing that I saw last night, even though I’m pretty sure there was something of a phantasmagoria that I wandered through – and wondering what exactly I could tellContinue reading “Instagramming Myself”
The Notice That One Needs
Dearest Rachel – So I mentioned yesterday that I would let you know about how our errands that afternoon would go if I thought they were interesting enough to relate. And they held up part of that bargain, I suppose – although it may be more a case of them being the most interesting thingContinue reading “The Notice That One Needs”
Sleeping Up A Sweat
Dearest Rachel – I won’t go so far as to say that you would be proud of the two of us – if nothing else, I can’t verify that I was conscious the entire time – but I did manage to stay up with Daniel until well past eleven last night. This, after a mildlyContinue reading “Sleeping Up A Sweat”
Holiday Monday
Dearest Rachel – I wish I could tell you more about last night‘s dream; it felt like I was scrambling to purchase a few more souvenirs before I had to leave town. It kind of resembled the day that Daniel and I were on our way out from Otaru earlier this year, but somewhat moreContinue reading “Holiday Monday”
Meatloaf and Eggshells
Dearest Rachel – Not ever being one to enjoy grilling myself – as you might remember, or not, since I don’t think your dad was into it either, thereby precluding you from recognizing the practice as a requisite of manhood – I don’t understand why Logan got such a bee in his bonnet about gettingContinue reading “Meatloaf and Eggshells”
The Return of the Non-Native
Dearest Rachel – It should hardly come as a surprise to you that, even after all this time, I really don’t like going to the gym. It’s an obligation at the best of times, in order to stay in shape; more often than not, it feels like a punishment – or at least, penance –Continue reading “The Return of the Non-Native”
Bullpen Morning
Dearest Rachel – Now, you were never much for sports yourself, so I probably don’t have to work too hard to disabuse you of the notion that this has nothing to do with baseball and pitching – although now that I’ve brought it up, maybe you’d have to have me explain why I make theContinue reading “Bullpen Morning”
Why I Don’t Trust My Instincts
Dearest Rachel – So last Thursday evening, as I was preparing myself for bed, I sat down to use the toilet, when I noticed a strange sensation on my bare foot; the bathroom rug was damp, as was my foot. I quickly got up to inspect the situation, as that needed to be dealt withContinue reading “Why I Don’t Trust My Instincts”
What He Wanted
Dearest Rachel – If it hadn’t been for the fact that it was so undiplomatic, I would’ve been pleased that Daniel actually knew what it was he wanted, and said so. He’s usually so indifferent to options offered to him, that this is actually worth telling you about. And in the end, it wound upContinue reading “What He Wanted”
A Thousand Steps Around the Parking Lot
Dearest Rachel – I’ve probably mentioned the proverb in one paraphrase or another several times over the course the last five or six years, honey, but it’s constantly being proven true; there’s nothing the Lord finds funnier than a plan we humans can come up with. The most obvious examples are those elaborate, Pinky-and-the-Brain styleContinue reading “A Thousand Steps Around the Parking Lot”
In Due Time
Hey there, Pop – I know, I know; normally I would be writing Rachel about the goings-on around here. But it’s been a while since I’ve been able to talk to you now, and since this would be going to approximately the same address (although what do I know? Heaven is undoubtedly larger than theContinue reading “In Due Time”
Workout at Woodfield
Dearest Rachel – For all that our walks take up a large swath of time in a given day, there’s not a whole lot to be related to you about when Lars and I get together. On the contrary, there’s generally something of a “what happens here stays here” ethos to it all, where what’sContinue reading “Workout at Woodfield”
Something He Can Call His Own
Dearest Rachel – Well, I promised I would tell you about it, and here we are; after over five years of driving your car around, Daniel finally has a car he can call his own. It has everything he wanted in a car (which, admittedly, wasn’t much to begin with, but thus far, he hasn’tContinue reading “Something He Can Call His Own”
What Passes for Productivity
Dearest Rachel – I had this title in mind when I was on my way to the ‘office’ yesterday morning; if I could get everything accomplished that I had in mind for the day, I could write and tell you about how much I managed to do. And in a way, it was a relativelyContinue reading “What Passes for Productivity”
Pawpaw Party
Dearest Rachel – So, while I had prepared for nothing much to happen last night – and as a consequent sidelight, begun a couple of letters to you as contingency plans – that is precisely what turned out to not happen. As a result, I have plenty to tell you about, even if much ofContinue reading “Pawpaw Party”
Small Stuff in the Meantime
Dearest Rachel – There’s a pair of rules for life that go like such: 1.) Don’t sweat the small stuff, and 2.) it’s all small stuff. And from your vantage point, that’s truer than any living human can grasp. Literally anything I tell you about is ‘small stuff,’ in the grand scheme of things, noContinue reading “Small Stuff in the Meantime”
A Day For Daniel
Dearest Rachel – I’ve got to admit, I really don’t know what to write to you about this morning. It’s been a day of a fair number of little things – just enough to keep me occupied – none of which strike me as particularly noteworthy. It’s just a little bit of everything and aContinue reading “A Day For Daniel”
We Disappoint
Dearest Rachel – Coming home from class at church last night (Pastor Joel is doing a series on Old Testament characters, and certain Biblical counseling principles that apply to them; our first night started almost at the very beginning, with Cain and God’s warning to him to keep his desires under control, lest something terribleContinue reading “We Disappoint”
Going On Younger
Dearest Rachel – Yesterday, I mentioned something rather in passing about how I see those who are my peers – people my age – to somehow be older than myself. As I was writing that parenthetical comment, I realized that it could stand to be expanded upon, but if I were to do that rightContinue reading “Going On Younger”
I Could Use a New Drug
Dearest Rachel – I’m not gonna go so far as to say that I need a new drug (and in event, apparently Huey Lewis didn’t go that far either – he actually said “want,” much to my surprise – not that he was talking about drugs in the first place, but rather about love andContinue reading “I Could Use a New Drug”
Harnessing Resolve
Dearest Rachel – I’ve told you in the past about one failure or another when it comes to attempts at both diet and exercise; not only have are there the standard problems with motivation, there been times when one’s determination to do right falters when faced with certain obstacles life presents. My struggles with thisContinue reading “Harnessing Resolve”
We Need A Third, At Least
Dearest Rachel – This weekend is particularly quiet for Daniel and myself, honey. Logan is out of the house for the weekend; I forget if it’s a sibling or a cousin of his, but one or the other is getting married this weekend up in Michigan. It strikes me as a little odd for aContinue reading “We Need A Third, At Least”
Would I Be Like Arne?
Dearest Rachel – It’s been a while since we went walking like this in the woods; not only were the last two weeks that I’ve met up with Lars been rather short on actual walking, he’s been hosting friends from overseas, so I’m something of a bit player in those days (and I’ve rather hadContinue reading “Would I Be Like Arne?”
A Healthy Crowd
Dearest Rachel – I don’t know what it felt like to you or Daniel, but it seems like whatever I have right now is like one of the colds either of you would deal with; longer term, lower symptom intensity, but just there the whole time. Rather than being laid out flat like I usedContinue reading “A Healthy Crowd”
Walking Distance
Dearest Rachel – I’m pretty sure that Kirsten started the conversation this weekend about what we might do together, which will eventually become somewhat ironic at some point in this story. To be fair, she started it sometime in the middle of Friday, when I was staying home (although not exactly staying home the wholeContinue reading “Walking Distance”
A Mad, Pointless Dash
Dearest Rachel – So yesterday saw me sitting at home yet again; for all Mom’s mock-concern about losing track of the days with ‘two Saturdays’ at the end of the week, I can’t seem to avoid the situation. This time around, it was a continuation of an issue we had mostly dealt with of aContinue reading “A Mad, Pointless Dash”
Vaguely Familiar Ground
Dearest Rachel – So, yesterday saw me driving Mom to her investment advisors’ to deposit a refund check from Dad’s health insurance, as well as determine what to do with the life insurance payout she had already received. While I would point out that she could certainly have driven herself – she does so whenContinue reading “Vaguely Familiar Ground”
Meanwhile, at Home…
Dearest Rachel – There are some stories that are not really mine to tell, as I don’t enter into them until the second or third act at best, but since Daniel’s not likely to tell it (for various reasons, including that he’s not a writer, as such, and it’s debatable as to how well theContinue reading “Meanwhile, at Home…”
Letting Myself Be Treated
Dearest Rachel – I’ve no idea how long it’s been since I’ve been to Lake Geneva; in fact, as far as I know, I (and therefore we) never went there before. There are the odd sights that seem vaguely familiar from my childhood, but as you know, my childhood memories don’t seem to be asContinue reading “Letting Myself Be Treated”
‘Working’ on Labor Day
Dearest Rachel – It may seem a little inappropriate for me to be reporting in to the ‘office’ today – although it’s been pointed out since the holiday was created how odd it is to celebrate ‘labor’ by not laboring – but that’s the beauty of being retired and being able to set one’s ownContinue reading “‘Working’ on Labor Day”
Playing Tour Guide
Dearest Rachel – It was an interesting start to the day, honey. I was assured by Copilot that the trains departing the Arlington Heights station for Ogilvie would show up there at about 48 minutes past the hour, so I made a point of leaving the house shortly after nine (but not without extending aContinue reading “Playing Tour Guide”
Making Preparations
Dearest Rachel – Since I really want to get this out before I have to leave the house in the morning, this letter is mostly being written ahead of time. Oh, I expect to have a fair amount to tell you about regarding today’s activities, but that won’t be until I get home, and byContinue reading “Making Preparations”
Costco Run
Dearest Rachel – Good news this morning (or, more accurately, from Tuesday afternoon); Daniel called in to the county as instructed on his summons, and it turns out that his services were not required after all, which was a relief. I was fully prepared to escort him down there (despite never having been called toContinue reading “Costco Run”
Friends First
Dearest Rachel – It’s actually kind of funny; as summer comes to a close, the social calendar ramps up with a quickness. Which is sort of ironic, because everything’s pretty slow during the summer – now that we all get back to our commitments, we’re being called to this or that event on top ofContinue reading “Friends First”
Pretend Everything’s Normal
Dearest Rachel – I feel like I should apologize for yesterday; normally, I can get a letter out to you before noon without fail – and most of it was put together both early and quickly – but the story couldn’t be resolved until the work was done by the repair team when they cameContinue reading “Pretend Everything’s Normal”
A Plumbing Fix
Dearest Rachel – Given that our house is older than even your parents’ place (it was, after all, on the outer perimeter of the subdivision, and therefore built first as part of a row of demonstration models), it was to be expected that we would need to fix up and upgrade the place over time.Continue reading “A Plumbing Fix”
The Process of Discovery
Dearest Rachel – For all that I will tell you about the characteristics that Daniel shares with you, this time it may be something that he shares with me that makes the story. He may be generally inert on his own, but once nudged to do something, he can pursue the matter without further influence.Continue reading “The Process of Discovery”
Entropy
Dearest Rachel – I tend to think of this word as being synonymous with chaos or disorder; slightly more scientific than either of the other words, with a literally universal meaning to it, insofar as the cosmos tends toward it all the more over time (although, on such a scale, one could expect the processContinue reading “Entropy”
Showing Up, At Least
Dearest Rachel – Life does not work like literature, honey. Anton Chekov insisted that a gun that appears in the first act of a stage play must be fired by the third act, but that’s not how things work in real life. Your dad’s pistol, hidden (ironically) in a book with its pages hollowed out,Continue reading “Showing Up, At Least”
Pleasure and Penance
Dearest Rachel – After Daniel passed his driving test (which I’ve never had to take a second time, so even I would worry about missing a key thing or two), I thought it would be worth going out to eat to celebrate. It’s not like either of the boys weren’t already thinking about lunch, asContinue reading “Pleasure and Penance”
Take Two
Dearest Rachel – Well, considering that last week turned out to be a washout, I wasn’t expecting much out of this week’s attempt for the boys to get their licenses renewed and updated. At the same time, it’s not like we didn’t know what documentation we hadn’t thought to bring last time around, so maybeContinue reading “Take Two”
Summoned to Stand By
Dearest Rachel – I never expected to write you twice about mail in the same week. True, I call these posts that I “send” to you “letters,” but there’s no postal service between heaven and earth that can assure that they would be delivered and read – at least, not by you. Anything that happensContinue reading “Summoned to Stand By”
And You Thought I Was Bad When I Worked…
Dearest Rachel – I’m not going to lie, but my recent evening routine would probably shock you, honey. You would stay up until the wee hours of the night, after all, fighting off the sandman as if a mortal enemy. You might nod off in front of a computer while we hung out together inContinue reading “And You Thought I Was Bad When I Worked…”
Mail for Your Mom
Dearest Rachel – I don’t recall exactly when it was that you set things up so that your parents’ mail would arrive at our place. It would have been after you and I got them to agree to in-home nursing care (which they preferred to the idea of having to be placed in a retirementContinue reading “Mail for Your Mom”
At The Last Minute
Dearest Rachel – It was a good thing that I had basically finished my ‘work’ for the month (you know, the reports to be delivered to the elders and such like) by the end of the day on Thursday, honey. Yesterday wound up getting pre-empted by so much else happening at the last minute thatContinue reading “At The Last Minute”
Treeman Doesn’t Care
Dearest Rachel – I occasionally find myself wondering how much you remember of life down here, after gulping down a draft from the river Lethe. To be sure, that’s a completely mythological waterway, but given how memory fades over time down here – and you’ve traveled much further than I have in that intervening time,Continue reading “Treeman Doesn’t Care”
Indulgent Parenting
Dearest Rachel – So yesterday was a short one at the ‘office’; normally, I’d be there from at least ten until three, but I had my semi-annual dental appointment (yes, I’m far more faithful with that than my physical check-up. In fact, I’m not even sure how that works, now that Daniel and I haveContinue reading “Indulgent Parenting”
The Long Trip Back
Dearest Rachel – It seems odd to focus on the flights to and from any given destination when I write to you about traveling; really, it’s the least interesting part of the whole trip. Then again, the process takes the better part of a day either way – be it the trip to and fromContinue reading “The Long Trip Back”
Refusing the Call to Adventure
Dearest Rachel – Friday in Honduras is what’s referred to as “adventure day” by the folks at Just One for the members of the visiting “vision teams.” It’s meant to be a day of fun, a respite from and, to some extent, a reward (yes, there’s that term again) for the work put into theContinue reading “Refusing the Call to Adventure”
Everyone Wants to be an Entrepreneur
Dearest Rachel – It isn’t something that I expected when I started in on my class regarding budgeting (well, more like record-keeping, because how do you create a budget when you don’t know what you spent on things to begin with?), but once the kids started asking questions, so many of them had to doContinue reading “Everyone Wants to be an Entrepreneur”
No Longer Dry
Dearest Rachel – Well, the rains finally came; and when they did, they came pouring down. It would be just when I get through telling you about how they skipped past us, making a liar out of me. I can’t say that I’m looking forward to the No Hungry Home walk in this slop tomorrow;Continue reading “No Longer Dry”
The Dry Season
Dearest Rachel – Last summer, when I was in Honduras for the first time, it seemed like every night found us dealing with a rainstorm. For the most part, it didn’t interfere with our work during the day (unless you count our interactions with the students on the soccer pitch to be part of ourContinue reading “The Dry Season”
Cramming
Dearest Rachel – It’s the sort of situation you would find yourself in (and which I occasionally find evidence of as I go through your old Bible study notes), so I’d like to think you wouldn’t fault me for this particular shortcoming. The thing is, at the briefing a couple weeks ago, prior to anyContinue reading “Cramming”
Indulge Within Reason
Dearest Rachel – While out and about with Mom (getting papers signed, as I told you about yesterday), we passed by an old barbershop in the strip mall where her brokers have set up shop. Which struck the two of us as odd, since the name belonged to a shop that was a little closerContinue reading “Indulge Within Reason”
Papers In Order
Dearest Rachel – For all that much of life is conducted online these days (and to think, we were part of the vanguard; remember when we used to send out family Christmas letters, and thought it worthy of comment that most of our purchases were made that year on Amazon? Good times), some things needContinue reading “Papers In Order”
Not Really Trying
Dearest Rachel – You’ve already heard me complain (if that’s the right word for it; it seems a little harsh) that since I’ve come home from this last trip, I’ve had difficulty in getting back to what I refer to as my license weight. I honestly don’t know when it dates from, as I’ve essentiallyContinue reading “Not Really Trying”
Proctoring
Dearest Rachel – So, last night I was imagining that I was proctoring an exam; presumably for the kids down in Honduras (where I will be next week), but at the same time, it was a test I had been hoping to take, like with the CPA exam. At some point while I was doingContinue reading “Proctoring”
Threadbare
Dearest Rachel – This is the sort of thing that, once upon a time, I would be writing to apologize to you about (and in fact, maybe that’s part of what I’m doing right now, when you come down to it); or, further back, I wouldn’t be doing at all, since you would claim thatContinue reading “Threadbare”
No Place to Socialize
Dearest Rachel – I was heading out of the gym the other day after putting in an unusually long session (a full hour and a half, plus a couple of five-minute cooldown walks in between) and encountered an older woman talking with her peer at the reception desk. Her shirt read “I may be twiceContinue reading “No Place to Socialize”
And I Missed It
Dearest Rachel – I’ve started a few more drafts since the last time I mentioned having a few I could work with, but by and large, they aren’t the sort of topics that are particularly time-sensitive. I could easily modify “yesterday” to “the other day” and no one would be the wiser if I didn’tContinue reading “And I Missed It”
With a Headful of Mush
Dearest Rachel – There’s an interesting effect in my trying to write you first thing in the morning, starting with the first hour or two after rolling out of bed. Some mornings, of course, I’m literally waking up with something to tell you about, even if it’s weird or surreal – because you used toContinue reading “With a Headful of Mush”
Blank T-Shirt
Dearest Rachel – So I’m standing in front of my closet this morning, trying to decide what to wear. You know the drill; I’ve made four separate quilts out of your T-shirts alone, and we had piles in the sunroom for your fancier dresses. Having choices wasn’t so much of a problem with us; itContinue reading “Blank T-Shirt”
A Walk Be(for)e Breakfast
Dearest Rachel – One of the reasons that I go into such great detail with you about some of my workouts is the fact that I never used to do this when you were alive. I don’t think it ever crossed either of our minds back in the day. There was a point in timeContinue reading “A Walk Be(for)e Breakfast”
Knocking Off Early
Dearest Rachel – He may not have quite been the favorite musician for either of us, but we did happen to see my namesake, Randy Stonehill (hey, not many people share my name, let alone ‘famous’ people like artists, musicians and whatnot), live in concert three times throughout our lives together. Maybe it’s because heContinue reading “Knocking Off Early”
The Haze
Dearest Rachel – I stepped outside yesterday morning to something that looked like fog, for all intents and purposes. Given how many hot, dry days we’d been dealing with this week, it wouldn’t be all that surprising that, as it was cooler yesterday than it had been up until then; cooler air crashing into hotContinue reading “The Haze”
A Whole Lot of Nothing
Dearest Rachel – Standing out in the parking lot, waiting for the parents to arrive on a Wednesday evening, listening to the chorus of cicadas in the hot summer air, I feel like I should be telling you about my day – or at least starting in on the story, as things are about toContinue reading “A Whole Lot of Nothing”
The Insurance Company’s Loss
Dearest Rachel – I know what you’re thinking; “insurance is such a boring topic, honey – why are you thinking you can make a day’s essay out of it?” And the fact that I’m addressing this question should go to show that I’m well aware of that very fact, to the point of putting thoseContinue reading “The Insurance Company’s Loss”
Starting Out Slow
Dearest Rachel – Six-thirty. It’s not exactly early here, but enough that I might be able to amble over to the gym and put in an hour before going through my usual routine of getting myself ready before heading for the ‘office.’ I’ve even got most of the energy I’d need to do just that,Continue reading “Starting Out Slow”
Hither, Thither & Yon, Esq.
Dearest Rachel – In fairness, I can’t remember if Walt Kelly wrote about the team of Hither, Thither and Yon as a legal firm, or a trio of baseball players whose double-play performance rivaled that of Tinker, Evers and Chance (although from a historical standpoint, the three famous Cubs weren’t really all that great atContinue reading “Hither, Thither & Yon, Esq.”
Back to Norbal
Dearest Rachel – It’s possible that things across town are starting to settle into a sort of normalcy for Mom these days. I had offered to bring dinner over yesterday, like we’ve done for the past couple of weeks, and while she accepted that offer, as usual, she kept adding things that she was goingContinue reading “Back to Norbal”
When You Were There For Him
Dearest Rachel – Another day, another meal; it seems that, in some ways, is the most interesting part of a given day (please note, honey, that I wrote this yesterday afternoon, before the lightning struck). This applies even to days with something happening that hasn’t for the past month and a half; that of KrisContinue reading “When You Were There For Him”
Sizzle and Crash
Dearest Rachel – Well, that came out of absolutely nowhere. At about half-past midnight, there was this slight sizzling sound, followed by a thunderous cracking noise and a bright flash of light in our backyard. I don’t know whether we got hit by a singular bolt of lightning (out of a sky with no rain)Continue reading “Sizzle and Crash”
The Legal Niceties
Dearest Rachel – I fell asleep early last night; it wasn’t even dark yet, so I had to put on my eye mask to do so, but everything I’d intended to do for the day was done. Besides, I’d need to get up early in the morning if I was going to hit the gymContinue reading “The Legal Niceties”
Happy Hour
Dearest Rachel – The farther I get from your presence in terms of time, the less I remember the way things were when you had to leave as opposed to how they are now. I want to say that the hole in the wall Daniel and I went to yesterday was already a Japanese restaurantContinue reading “Happy Hour”
Free Weekend
Dearest Rachel – It’s somewhere between appropriate and ironic that this weekend should get such a designation in the title, given Independence Day and all that. You might point out that, somewhat wryly and pace Stan Freberg, that we didn’t get out of town for the weekend like the Founding Fathers were likely to doContinue reading “Free Weekend”
Rumblings of Concern
Dearest Rachel – The plan was for all of us to assemble at Recreation Park for last night’s festivities; it would seem our town was putting on a drone display in lieu of fireworks this year. And honestly, it’s to be expected; we don’t have a venue big enough (and empty enough) for fireworks, nowContinue reading “Rumblings of Concern”
To Do You Justice
Dearest Rachel – Over the last few weeks, I’ve been going over the letters from the early days of this site (and while I’d started this letter with an explanation of how I’m doing that, that might actually merit a separate letter for another time, so I’m going to set that on the back burnerContinue reading “To Do You Justice”
Dropping My Guts
Dearest Rachel – You might look at that title with some measure of puzzlement; “Don’t you mean ‘spilling your guts, honey?” And to be fair, that’s a much more common expression in the English language vernacular, so I can see why you might think of it first. But here’s the deal, honey; after over fiveContinue reading “Dropping My Guts”
The Creak of Bones
Dearest Rachel – As a follow-up to my second letter from yesterday, I should point out that, as one might expect, my moment beneath my license weight after working out to the point of dizziness has passed – at least for now. Upon waking up this morning, I was basically back in the same positionContinue reading “The Creak of Bones”
The Other Side of the Scale
Dearest Rachel – Monday morning, which is bad enough even without a job to go to, and I totter over to the bathroom; more specifically, the bathroom scale. Ever since Daniel and I got home from this last cruise, I’ve backslid to the point where I’m nearly pushing two-forty again. Granted, since getting home, I’veContinue reading “The Other Side of the Scale”
Belated Birthday
Dearest Rachel – Like me, Daniel has come to grips with the fact that his actual birthday doesn’t revolve around him, much as we all would wish otherwise about our own. However, as long as he’s been willing to defer it to a more opportune day, I still want to make sure that he getsContinue reading “Belated Birthday”
Self-Imposed Oubliette
Dearest Rachel – So there are these places called anechoic chambers, used for testing equipment that are either extremely loud (thereby needing a room that can dampen the sound they emit) or extremely sensitive (thus requiring that all external noise be extinguished or blocked in order to test them). Every surface in the room isContinue reading “Self-Imposed Oubliette”
We Never Bothered With That
Dearest Rachel – Things are slowly starting to get back to something approximating normal; yesterday saw Daniel and myself over at Mom’s place (okay, that took a moment – I still almost wrote down “the folks’ place”) for Thursday dinner. Granted, in the chaos of the past couple of weeks – yes, it’s only beenContinue reading “We Never Bothered With That”
Nothing to Worry About?
Dearest Rachel – It’s been a couple of years since last I commented on such an event happening as it did yesterday evening; although compared to our own lives, that actually seems more often than it used to be. Then again, what do I know? It’s not as if I was keeping track of lifeContinue reading “Nothing to Worry About?”
I Don’t Have to Get Up
Dearest Rachel – Light seeps into the bedroom; cool, grey and cloudy, but light nonetheless. I can hear the chirp of various birds from the backyard, even as the occasional motorcar roars by outside in front of the house. It’s been an exhausting couple of days, but it seems as if we’re needing to getContinue reading “I Don’t Have to Get Up”
Let’s Get This Party Over With
It is better to go to a ·funeral [L house of mourning] than to a ·party [L drinking house].·We all must die [L It is everyone’s end], and everyone living should ·think about this [L take it to heart]. Ecclesiastes 7:2, Expanded Bible Dearest Rachel – Since I identify with the older version of Solomon – the writer of Ecclesiastes – than the younger oneContinue reading “Let’s Get This Party Over With”
An Odd Birthday
Dearest Rachel – This isn’t my story, exactly; but since my perspective is the only one I have, that’s the only one I can relate to you. It’s not as if he would put the events of yesterday in writing so as to remember, so the duty falls to me, regardless. Besides, there were aContinue reading “An Odd Birthday”
Worse Than Being On Hold
Dearest Rachel – So, in an effort to keep you up-to-date with thing happening in my life, no matter how mundane (especially since the stuff that isn’t mundane is rather depressing at the moment. Like funereal depressing, literally), I have to let you know that there are in fact ordinary things in life worse thanContinue reading “Worse Than Being On Hold”
Stones, Spaces and Circumstances
Dearest Rachel – I’m looking forward to a relatively slow day today, honey. Granted, the boys are going to the movies tonight, and have invited me along because I expressed interest in the film when it came out – maybe my concerns about making stuff ‘uncool’ for them by expressing interest in them are unfoundedContinue reading “Stones, Spaces and Circumstances”
More Normal than I’ve a Right To…
Dearest Rachel – So, the last couple of days, have been… well, I wouldn’t say a flurry of activity, necessarily, but busy enough that I haven’t had the chance to determine what, if anything, is really different about life before and after Daniel and I left. Oh, there are the obvious things, of course; whenContinue reading “More Normal than I’ve a Right To…”
Back to ‘Work’
Dearest Rachel – I hope it didn’t sound like I was teasing my sister when I referred to the fact that she was taking care of all the administrative work behind dad‘s funeral arrangements as her means of coping with his passing. To be sure, teasing is one of the main duties of being aContinue reading “Back to ‘Work’”
Faith in ‘the’ System? Or ‘His’?
Dearest Rachel – One last travel story before we move on. Yes, there’s a lot to deal with at home, with Dad’s passing and everything that has to be done both to commemorate him and figure out how to move on with life after him (all of which should sound familiar, since that’s basically beenContinue reading “Faith in ‘the’ System? Or ‘His’?”
It All Seems So Small Now
Dearest Rachel – I tell you, honey, we leave for a few weeks, and when we come back, everything is turned completely upside down. Or is that too callous a perspective? To be fair, it was Dad himself who made the rueful joke about not being able to pick us up at the airportContinue reading “It All Seems So Small Now”
When it All Becomes Commonplace
Dearest Rachel – This shouldn’t come as any great surprise to you, honey – you’d lived with me long enough to know already, and you’ve seen plenty written to you since then to watch me codify it that much further – but I’m something of a foodie. Oh, I can live with simple stuff atContinue reading “When it All Becomes Commonplace”
Seven Years in the Making
I wasn’t there that morning when my father passed away. I didn’t get to tell him all the things I had to say. Mike and the Mechanics, “The Living Years” (1988) Dearest Rachel – I think Daniel was asleep, but not for long thereafter. My phone vibrated at about five-thirty this morning. It was Jenn,Continue reading “Seven Years in the Making”
Catching Up Too Quickly
Dearest Rachel – So this is our last full day at sea before we get hit by a series of port days; I’ll be running fast and furious between the ports and the computer to document our visits, leaving me with precious little time for random musing and various small but necessary tasks. So it’sContinue reading “Catching Up Too Quickly”
Blackout Curtains
Dearest Rachel – It would seem that things are passing much the way I expected them to. I keep waking up every morning, checking my phone to find out what time it is, and as always, it’s between two and three in the morning (Japan time). Of course, this means that, according to ship time,Continue reading “Blackout Curtains”
