Dearest Rachel – I honestly don’t know if I’m boring you with my latest obsession with artificial intelligence and pictures of you. Despite your degree in computer science (which you earned essentially pre-internet, so it was practically worthless within a few years of your graduation), you rarely seemed as interested in the ins and outsContinue reading “To Practical Use”
Category Archives: Updates From the Abandoned Planet
The Non Blizzard
Dearest Rachel – I woke up to something other than pitch blackness this morning, which I take as a good sign. Lately, I haven’t been regularly getting my full eight hours, despite my best attempts, and I’m not exactly sure why. Not that you were ever concerned about getting that many hours at a timeContinue reading “The Non Blizzard”
A Few Words About Kevin
Dearest Rachel – As I mentioned the other day, Kevin’s stepdad asked me to write a few words about him for his memorial service, whether I could attend or not. With that in mind, and seeing as it would probably be read about now, here is what I wrote: I’m not about to claim toContinue reading “A Few Words About Kevin”
The Right of Refusal
Dearest Rachel – By rights, I probably should have spent last night preparing myself for the trip down to Tennessee, rather than going out to dinner with the girls as planned online with them shortly after Kevin signed off from our last gaming session together (look, how were we to know?). I had put togetherContinue reading “The Right of Refusal”
Distance and Distraction
Dearest Rachel – I feel like I should feel worse about the situation regarding Kevin’s accident, but it’s not coming to me at this point. I haven’t been able to shed a single tear about him, and that rather upsets me. it just doesn’t seem right. And yet, I’m aware of many different things thatContinue reading “Distance and Distraction”
The Shock of the News
Dearest Rachel – I have to admit, the first thing that crossed my mind when I heard the news was “Who’s going to tell Anastasia?” His Ukrainian girlfriend, who he met online through TikTok, had been a source of friction between the two of us, but she was the first thing I thought of whenContinue reading “The Shock of the News”
Other People’s Stories
Dearest Rachel – Ever since I mentioned the possibility of turning recordings of your voice into future conversation (and bemoaned the fact that I have more of Mohinder’s voice than yours), I’ve been reminded of recordings we’d planned – but never got the chance – to make. When Daniel was making plans to enroll atContinue reading “Other People’s Stories”
Only So Much We Can Do
Dearest Rachel – I know that it isn’t that you wonder about the timing of my letters from day today; whether I get it out first thing in the morning or long after it’s gone dark is of no concern of yours. Indeed, if I were to be honest with myself, I’m forced to acknowledgeContinue reading “Only So Much We Can Do”
Sorting Out Schedules
Dearest Rachel – These days, I tend to think of my schedule as being reasonably flexible. Whenever someone wants to get together with me, at any given time, I can be there. There’s nothing cast in stone in my life that prevents me from any particular interaction. It’s not even so much that I canContinue reading “Sorting Out Schedules”
What You Get Out of It
Dearest Rachel – Even the most inspirational saying can be rendered ridiculous with the wrong (or, if you’re a comedian, the right) preface. Life is like a sewer; what you get out of it depends on what you put into it Tom Lehrer Such was what’s been going through my mind as I’ve been experimentingContinue reading “What You Get Out of It”
Trying Not to Break the String
Dearest Rachel – I think it was somewhere between eight and nine o’clock that Lars called me last night, in part to wish me a happy new year, and also to decide what day this week to go walking together (for the record, we’re going tomorrow, as today is apparently threatening rain). At some pointContinue reading “Trying Not to Break the String”
Virtual Time Capsule
– Written January 3, 2022 – Dearest Rachel – I mentioned early on this year that I couldn’t explain Daniel’s beliefs in my letters to you. Much of that is because I didn’t understand them; the rest is because I couldn’t find it in myself to believe them. It bothers me that there are peopleContinue reading “Virtual Time Capsule”
Perhaps A Little Too Comfortable
Dearest Rachel – So, last night after getting home from the folks for dinner (Dad had been in for a procedure on Wednesday and Thursday to adjust his feeding tube – more to the point, he was getting the finishing touches put on the new port in his stomach – so Mom had her handsContinue reading “Perhaps A Little Too Comfortable”
When You’re Deep in the Weeds…
Dearest Rachel – There were plenty of days when I would come home from the office (both when I was actually working at my job, and after I had set myself up with a desk in my folks’ basement after retiring), and you would ask me about my day, and I would have a certainContinue reading “When You’re Deep in the Weeds…”
A Hundred Blurry Photographs
Dearest Rachel – There’s a certain joy in having a project that feels like I could really make something out of it for a change. After having my plans for a YouTube channel derailed, first by a lack of talent (both my own and trying to recruit skilled assistance) and then by outside events (includingContinue reading “A Hundred Blurry Photographs”
Kuri Botchi-Issho (クリぼっち一緒)
Dearest Rachel – For all our love of anime and the like (and now, having passed that on, to a certain extent, to Daniel) we never got around to celebrating a Japanese-style Christmas in our lives together. Of course, most of this was because we had family on both sides to celebrate with, rather thanContinue reading “Kuri Botchi-Issho (クリぼっち一緒)”
Preoccupied With the Same Old Things
Dearest Rachel – I already wrote nearly a thousand words to you this morning, only to be forced to accept the fact that I could never post it as it was. It was the sort of dream that might be taken as a good omen had it been on New Year’s Day (although it containedContinue reading “Preoccupied With the Same Old Things”
Hunkering Down
Dearest Rachel – Nature Seems to Know As we started out on our customary walk yesterday, Lars wondered aloud what the odds would be of spotting wildlife in the woods over the next few miles and hours. Since we’d seen a few deer last week – and the trees were by now completely denuded, leavingContinue reading “Hunkering Down”
Opened A Little Early
Dearest Rachel – It seems a bit inappropriate to make such a comparison, especially considering that it involves you – the idea of thinking of a person as a toy or plaything, when expressed in that way, seems repugnant – but I feel like a kid who has just gotten the chance to open oneContinue reading “Opened A Little Early”
Greetings Into the Void
Dearest Rachel – I know that technically, we do have a Christmas tree in the house. In fact, it wasn’t until Jan came in to help me clear out so much of the clutter left behind that I even took it down after Christmas 2020. But it hasn’t been brought out of the crawlspace andContinue reading “Greetings Into the Void”
A Feature, Not a Bug
Dearest Rachel – I was probably dealing with a little bit of overconfidence after having helped the table I had been sitting at win the Christmas trivia contest – which I really should not have had, seeing that I had also been responsible for a run of three wrong answers in a row, that hadContinue reading “A Feature, Not a Bug”
It Is Until It Isn’t
Dearest Rachel – It’s always embarrassing when I run into scheduling issues; I tend to assume that my schedule is generally free at any given moment whenever someone asks if I’m available for this or that. And by and large, it is… until it isn’t. Just as I was leaving the ‘office’ yesterday, I wasContinue reading “It Is Until It Isn’t”
The Difficulties in the Dark
Dearest Rachel – Yesterday, even as she arrived and got started on cleaning up the house, Kris commented on how much she hated the fact that things were so dark and gray that morning. And to think, she was so much more motivated than either of us would be on a day like that; howContinue reading “The Difficulties in the Dark”
When Nothing’s Happened Yet
Dearest Rachel – I have to assume that the concept of time is meaningless to you at this point. There is no night, as I understand it, since God Himself is everywhere, and lights up heaven wherever He is, so there is no differentiating between days, or even from any one point of time toContinue reading “When Nothing’s Happened Yet”
The Takeaway
Dearest Rachel – One thing (for better or worse) about these letters is the fact that it forces me to try to organize the events of the day in a sort of cohesive fashion. I’m all but required to give them a title, and then proceed to parcel everything out into paragraphs. It’s a bitContinue reading “The Takeaway”
Not All Together
Dearest Rachel – I know that I used to rely on you a great deal back in the day to keep our calendar organized. You knew what we were doing on this day or that, and we rarely had to worry about double-booking ourselves thanks to you (of course, our relatively limited friend circle, andContinue reading “Not All Together”
You Have to Make the ‘Wrong’ Choice
How Was I to Know? Dearest Rachel – I know that Doc used to read these letters to you from time to time; I wonder what he would think about the fact that he’s getting mentioned twice in two days, especially considering that we’re pretty much on the opposite point of the calendar from conventionContinue reading “You Have to Make the ‘Wrong’ Choice”
Who Knows You
Dearest Rachel – There’s a cynical saying that’s gone around for generations that “it’s not what you know, but who you know.” Essentially, all the education in the world won’t necessarily get you as far as having certain contacts. And, depending on the field you’re trying to break into (and your definition of success) thatContinue reading “Who Knows You”
Christmas in the Pest House
Dearest Rachel – You might remember it from one of your parents’ books of old New Yorker cartoons. There was a particular artist in the magazine’s early days, one John Held, Jr., whose style tended towards old fashioned woodcuts, as opposed to the typical line-and-shadow drawings one thinks of. Whether that’s what they really were,Continue reading “Christmas in the Pest House”
Signposts and Detours on the Road to Recovery
Dearest Rachel – I can’t say that it was as regular as clockwork, but you should remember how, more or less once a year, I would come down with a cold that was so bad (for one day, at least) that I would feel like I ought to be informing my mates that my kangarooContinue reading “Signposts and Detours on the Road to Recovery”
Sick Day
Dearest Rachel – The only bit of good news when I woke up this morning at 4:30 (yeah, I guess I still haven’t gotten used to the time difference yet) was that my temperature was only 97.2°, so at least I know there’s no fever. That’s not even taking into account the fact that lastContinue reading “Sick Day”
Just Another Town… Again
Dearest Rachel – I want to say that it wasn’t all that long ago, but we both know better than that. High school, for both of us, was more than half a lifetime back – more like two-thirds, in fact – but the gaps tend to fill in with so many days that were indistinguishableContinue reading “Just Another Town… Again”
Among the Savages
Dearest Rachel – I am of the understanding that, in that last hour before wakefulness, our mind puts us through R.E.M. sleep for the purpose of getting us ready for the day. On rare occasions, the dreams it generates appear to be so much like our normal life that we find ways to deal withContinue reading “Among the Savages”
Plus Ultra
Dearest Rachel – No, honey, this letter has nothing to do with My Hero Academia, despite that anime making a catchphrase out of this Latin motto. I don’t know enough about the series to comment upon it; I may have been the first otaku in the family, but I know better than to get involvedContinue reading “Plus Ultra”
The Lengths Gone To
Dearest Rachel – I don’t recall the family ordering Thanksgiving pies from Baker’s Square before, to be honest. Or maybe it’s just that I was never tasked with picking them up before. In any event, it never crossed my mind as to what to expect when I got there. I’d planned on picking up lunchContinue reading “The Lengths Gone To”
Passing Another Milestone Upon the Verge of Joy
Dearest Rachel – Tomorrow, as you know, will be Thanksgiving. A day where we Americans collectively stop and try to remind ourselves how good we have it, and how we should be grateful for all those blessings in life that those of other places and times could only have dreamed of, as well as certainContinue reading “Passing Another Milestone Upon the Verge of Joy”
Rent and Responsibility
Dearest Rachel – I have to say that, when the folks dropped us off after driving us home from the airport, it was really nice to have Logan there waiting for us, with lights on and everything. The fact that he’d also prepared dinner (southern-style baked macaroni and cheese) was an added plus. Yes, heContinue reading “Rent and Responsibility”
Not Wee Enough Yet
Dearest Rachel – I’ve heard it said that, when you travel long distances, it takes a day to recover for every hour in time change that you make. I personally think that’s overstating things, as that would mean that by the time we were adjusting to the time in Israel, we would be pretty muchContinue reading “Not Wee Enough Yet”
All or Nothing at All
Dearest Rachel – For all that it’s been an edifying trip (even with the distraction of me trying to write everything down as I’m walking through every single site), it’s really good to get back home, and pile myself into my own bed. Daniel agrees, despite the fact that his bed is essentially the familyContinue reading “All or Nothing at All”
Mealtime Moments
Dearest Rachel – While I’ve been writing you mostly about the places we’ve gone, the things we’ve seen (many of which might be at least of nodding familiarity to you, having been here several times before), there are other things going on that have little to do with the trip itself. Or maybe they haveContinue reading “Mealtime Moments”
Let Cooler Heads Prevail
Dearest Rachel – There are so many reasons why I wish you were still here. Some are obvious at any point in time that you look at it; others, only in certain situations that come up so infrequently that even I tend to forget about them. This is one of those latter things, and oneContinue reading “Let Cooler Heads Prevail”
An Ungodly Hour in God’s City
Dearest Rachel – There are many cities around the world that seem to pride themselves on being ‘the city that never sleeps.’ New York and San Francisco come to mind in particular, being celebrated in song to that effect. Jerusalem is not one of those places. On the contrary, part of its pride lies inContinue reading “An Ungodly Hour in God’s City”
Losing Sharpness
Dearest Rachel – I’m not going to claim that this wouldn’t have happened if you were still here with me. You did a lot of the packing for our many trips, to be sure, but there were certain personal things that were left up to me to handle. In fact, I would generally be theContinue reading “Losing Sharpness”
Praise Allah, It’s Thursday
Dearest Rachel – I gather that just by using this title, I’m marking myself as an impious infidel; however, I can’t help but wonder if, since their day of worship is tomorrow, and they party tonight, whether Muslims have a similar attitude toward Thursday evening as we Westerners tend to think of Friday, and thankContinue reading “Praise Allah, It’s Thursday”
Too Tired to Wash?
Dearest Rachel – I’m not gonna lie, honey; when I heard that we would need to be on the bus as early as we would this morning, I considered taking a shower last night, instead. The trouble is that, by the time I was finished telling you about all the things that we had seenContinue reading “Too Tired to Wash?”
The City of David
Dearest Rachel – “♫ Jerusalem, if I forget youLet my right hand forget what it’s supposed to do ♪” We bounce in to the strains of reggae, if you can believe it. Jordan claims it’s a tradition among us at the Bridge, but I don’t recall that from past visits to Jerusalem. Our first timeContinue reading “The City of David”
Confusingly Early
Dearest Rachel – Morning at the Royal Dead Sea hotel, and we get our wake-up call at 6 o’clock. That’s half an hour earlier than we’ve ever had a wake-up call, and actually earlier than I’ve set my alarm for today. It makes me wonder if we have enough time to get ourselves put together, outContinue reading “Confusingly Early”
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”
Gobble, Gulp and Go
Dearest Rachel – A week or so ago, I finished transcribing my notes from our first trip here back in 2014. I had meant to use them to compare what we’d seen and heard then versus now, but also as filler, under the assumption that I wouldn’t be likely to be able to write fullContinue reading “Gobble, Gulp and Go”
Our Dinner With Omer
Dearest Rachel – Omer’s home overlooks the cliffs of Gadara (the site, as I always say, of the original deviled ham), and the city of Susita, on the northern half of the Sea of Galilee. Basically, to hear Omer tell it, he can see where half the events of the New Testament took place fromContinue reading “Our Dinner With Omer”
By the Waters of Jordan and Galilee
Dearest Rachel – For the third time in my life, I’m here at Yardenit – the banks of the Jordan. Junior asks me if I’m going in, and I respond in the negative. I’ve already been, after all – there’s no need to be baptized twice. Indeed, you’ll recall that neither of us had beenContinue reading “By the Waters of Jordan and Galilee”
The Difference in Mornings
Dearest Rachel – It says something good about a hotel bed when you wake up in it thinking year at home in your own – although I think it may have had more to do with the ambient traffic noise that I’m so used to back there. It’s less complementary when you check the alarm,Continue reading “The Difference in Mornings”
A Rest Arrested, A Connection Made
Dearest Rachel – I really thought I’d be better at this; given that I was yawning like crazy even as the folks were driving Daniel and I to the airport, I assumed I’d be able to fall asleep on the plane without any difficulty. It was certainly late enough in the evening, and I hadContinue reading “A Rest Arrested, A Connection Made”
“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””
Pa(ni)cking
Dearest Rachel – In the eponymous book describing it (and the many adventures Arthur Dent takes under its influence), The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy has emblazoned on its cover two critical words: “Don’t Panic.” In theory, it’s good advice for the traveler, whether you’re escaping a planet that’s about to be destroyed, or justContinue reading “Pa(ni)cking”
He Steals for Us
Dearest Rachel – I’m sure I really should be focusing on our preparations for our flight out tomorrow evening to Israel, but my mind is preoccupied with other things at the moment. Sure, there are personal things that I need to attend to, but today, the events of the world at large – or atContinue reading “He Steals for Us”
The New Saturday Routine
Dearest Rachel – I think you might remember me telling you back in the day how odd it was that, once I was able to retire, I only ever had to set my alarm on Sunday mornings. Of course, that’s to be understood; when we volunteer to work at all three services on a givenContinue reading “The New Saturday Routine”
Tapped Out (for the Moment)
Dearest Rachel – There are days when the slightest thing can trigger a flood of memories for me to write you about. Like Marcel Proust going on for pages about the shape, texture, and mouthfeel of a madeleine cookie, there are days when I could write for ages on the smallest thing, if I feltContinue reading “Tapped Out (for the Moment)”
An Unexpected Choice
Dearest Rachel – Well, that serves me right for trying to draft a letter to you while waiting for things to shake out. It’s amazing how much things can change in a matter of a few hours. I’ll start at the beginning, as best I can, since it’s not really my story – I’m justContinue reading “An Unexpected Choice”
La Ofrenda Inadvertida
Dearest Rachel – It’s the sort of thing to only think of talking about today, on what would be the Día de Muertos if we were of the sort to commemorate that. Certain concepts only come to mind at certain times of the year, prompted by seasons or holidays, and this is definitely one ofContinue reading “La Ofrenda Inadvertida”
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”
The Fortress With Two Open Doors
Dearest Rachel – Evenings at the house, if they weren’t falling into something of a routine, and thereby likely to be considered to be ‘normal,’ are, I suspect, anything but that, when observed objectively. While it’s understandable that the boys would hang out together – and that I should stay out of their way, muchContinue reading “The Fortress With Two Open Doors”
Taking A Ribbing
Dearest Rachel – On my way home from the Halloween festival at church, I stopped at several different places to pick up lunch for the boys. Some things never change; even if they’re able to agree on a place they’re both willing to eat from – and unlike the three of us, they can usuallyContinue reading “Taking A Ribbing”
The Pull of Responsibility
Dearest Rachel – While you spent much of your life trying to maintain a certain level of childhood (and fairly successfully, I might add – certainly in comparison to myself or nearly anyone else we knew), there are certain aspects of that station in life that leave one longing for the joys of the imaginedContinue reading “The Pull of Responsibility”
Preparations and Purchases
Dearest Rachel – You were instructing me to help you out in finding a protective screen for your touchscreen computer, as you were planning on taking it with on our travels. You seemed to be looking forward to the trip. For my part, I didn’t know how to react to your request. I hadn’t intendedContinue reading “Preparations and Purchases”
Spoiled
Dearest Rachel – For all the improvements to the house over the past few months, you would think I would be satisfied with everything, now that the dust has settled. But not necessarily; after getting myself dressed, and heading to the dining room to get myself a bowl of cereal to start the day with,Continue reading “Spoiled”
The Benchmark
Dearest Rachel – I’d fill you in about last night’s dream – something about the Incredibles, with the kids more or less grown up, duking it out against a league of supervillains basically representing the Seven Deadly Sins (honestly, what is it about supervillains that compels them to a.) insist on some sort of themeContinue reading “The Benchmark”
Don’t Know What I Expected
Dearest Rachel – “Are you… Dave?” I was to meet a fellow by that name, according to Lisa, and he would direct me and the other volunteers as far as setting up the room for last night’s activity. In fact, she even gave me his contact information, just in case I arrived too early, andContinue reading “Don’t Know What I Expected”
The Squeaky Wheel
Dearest Rachel – I never intended to make this story into a multi-part tale. I fully expected to be telling you about what happened (or, more to the point, what didn’t happen, as I’ve no expectations that anything will come of tonight’s get-together, any more than anything has come of my attempts at online dating,Continue reading “The Squeaky Wheel”
Can’t Help But Compare
Dearest Rachel – Waking up ridiculously early this morning isn’t anywhere near as unpleasant as it has been, now that the fan motor has been replaced in the bedroom space heater. Still, without an immediate topic at hand to talk to you about today (since by waking up, I seem to have completely punctured whateverContinue reading “Can’t Help But Compare”
A Second Adolescence
Dearest Rachel – It’s been long said that senility and dementia result in something that is referred to as a ‘second childhood’. You no longer know the things you used to know, so you’re about as ignorant and helpless as you were as a little child. You remember how this was, especially with your mom’sContinue reading “A Second Adolescence”
Cold Open
You know how it goes; you remember how the episodes began when the revival fired up. It’s the top of the hour, and what you’re watching is too good, too professionally produced to be a commercial. The visuals are stunning, and the action has you already hooked on what’s going on. But there’s been noContinue reading “Cold Open”
More Nothing Than I Know What to Do With
Dearest Rachel – For the most part, yesterday was my own fault, so I really have no right to complain about what happened – or rather, what didn’t happen. To be fair, I enjoy my retired life; the lack of deadlines and responsibilities to a boss, the (admittedly somewhat theoretical) freedom to do or goContinue reading “More Nothing Than I Know What to Do With”
Like a Drunken Sailor
Dearest Rachel – Most people would rather not be thought of as profligate when it comes to their spending habits; I certainly don’t. Sure, my family raised me to be generous with regard to giving (and I’ll get to that later on), but they also taught me to be prudent with what money came myContinue reading “Like a Drunken Sailor”
Bolt From the Black
Dearest Rachel – It was half past three; I checked almost immediately after it happened. My mind was just wrapping up a dream about a flight that was forced to land in the packing lot of our church’s Des Plaines campus when there was this thunderous explosion, as if it was coming directly from ourContinue reading “Bolt From the Black”
Filling A Need
Dearest Rachel – For all the mornings I talk to you about meaningless things like my dreams from the previous night, you’d think I’d take the time now and again to fill you in on the more important things that are actually happening in and around my life. Monday nights would be a particular sourceContinue reading “Filling A Need”
Girls and the Golden Cocoons
Dearest Rachel – This letter will have to wait for a couple of days; as I mentioned in the last one I wrote you, I had to do some shopping for my sister’s birthday present, so this needs to wait until I’ve actually given it to her, lest I run the risk of spoiling theContinue reading “Girls and the Golden Cocoons”
In No Mood to Get Up
Dearest Rachel – It’s six in the morning, and for whatever reason, I’m awake. It’s not quite pitch black, but it’s pretty thoroughly dark out yet. Several muscles surrounding my Achilles’ tendon are still screaming at me, despite my attempts to stretch them ex post facto. And I’ve just woken from a dream in whichContinue reading “In No Mood to Get Up”
Running from Responsibility?
Dearest Rachel – I woke up this morning, wondering why I might be imagining myself as a runaway staying at some halfway house on the outskirts of an actual city, rather than as I am, a homeowner in the suburbs, supposedly in charge on my own destiny. I know I have this mental picture ofContinue reading “Running from Responsibility?”
Status Quo Ante
Dearest Rachel – Monday morning. A new day, a new week, a new month – for all intents and purposes – and, for those who bother to keep track, a new quarter. Just about everything is new today. And yet, it’s back to the same old, same old. After a week away from the ‘office,’Continue reading “Status Quo Ante”
Between the Skydancer and the Statue
Dearest Rachel – So… it happened again. We’ve been asked to move, and while I understand the reasoning behind it (and evidently, Daniel’s not bothered by it), I’m not exactly thrilled. The thing is, the request was made with deliberate care so as not to upset us – and I think it worked on DanielContinue reading “Between the Skydancer and the Statue”
Forgoing Breakfast For Going to Breakfast
Dearest Rachel – There are mornings when I don’t know what to tell you about. Not for lack of things to talk about, necessarily (although there are some days like that), as much as what to focus on – and in some cases, what not to focus on. There are mornings when I stand inContinue reading “Forgoing Breakfast For Going to Breakfast”
Battle Plans
Dearest Rachel – I can’t guess as to how much you still remember of your past life on this plane – especially things from so long ago (although, for all I know, you might be able to see the distant past just as well as the relatively recent, from your perspective), but I’m reminded today,Continue reading “Battle Plans”
Slacking Off
Dearest Rachel – I have often commented, when we would visit Kevin or vice versa, that we aren’t exactly the best influences on him. You know that he’s been trying to watch his weight; keeping tabs on calories consumed, sodium intake and the like at various time in the past few years. And you, inContinue reading “Slacking Off”
Too Soon Awake, With Too Strange Thoughts
Dearest Rachel – It’s another morning, and I don’t dare emerge from the bedroom, lest I run the risk of running it to somebody else. So, I might as well spend some time trying to talk to you. However, the most likely topic of discussion –my dreams – is somewhat out of the question, becauseContinue reading “Too Soon Awake, With Too Strange Thoughts”
Lessons from Logan
Dearest Rachel – When I agreed to allow Logan to move in with us, there were a few things that I was considering in the back of my mind. It certainly wasn’t that we needed the rent money – although, with that being said, we may well have deprived someone else that needed it moreContinue reading “Lessons from Logan”
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.”
Time to Shop
Dearest Rachel – It’s one of those things that I’ve never really gotten a good handle on, despite having had the need to since your absence. Usually, if I’m going shopping, it’s just for one or two things in particular, not a whole list of them. And, as I’ve pointed out before, I usually findContinue reading “Time to Shop”
A Milestone Missed
Dearest Rachel – There’s not much for me to do today, in terms of commemorating our thirtieth anniversary. I’ve already posted our wedding video, and that game show we participated in on the cruise we took to celebrate our twenty-fifth (it’s shocking to consider how much has changed in the span of less than fiveContinue reading “A Milestone Missed”
The Love of the Legend
Dearest Rachel – As much as I might complain about not meeting people on this weekend’s camping venture, I happen to know that a lot of it is my own fault. You’ve already heard about how I hadn’t felt comfortable talking to the ‘guests’ as a mere worker, but that sort of reticence applies toContinue reading “The Love of the Legend”
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”
As Done As We Can Be, For Now
Dearest Rachel – I haven’t been telling you about what’s been going on at the house this past week, even though it’s probably the most momentous bit of news for the rest of the year pertaining to it; we’re finally done with the remodeling process. For now. The painters have come, starting Tuesday, and theyContinue reading “As Done As We Can Be, For Now”
A Hole In Space
Dearest Rachel – Well, honey, I got my assignment in my email yesterday evening, and it turns out I’ll be spending most of the weekend in the kitchen just as I expected to. What I hadn’t expected (but probably should have) is that most of my time there will be spent handling cleanup rather thanContinue reading “A Hole In Space”
Box Canyon Blues
Dearest Rachel – I don’t mind the time I spend in the video booth during church, even if it does occasionally require waking up at what seems to be (and I know you’d agree, with your circadian rhythm) a ridiculous hour. I find the need to keep busy, even (especially?) on the weekend, to keepContinue reading “Box Canyon Blues”
Night Has Fallen (and it Can’t Get Up)
Dearest Rachel – You wouldn’t know much about this, but back in the days when I was still working for a living, I would set the alarm to go off shortly after five. It was early enough for me to wash and dry myself, get dressed, and sit around doing my morning reading while IContinue reading “Night Has Fallen (and it Can’t Get Up)”
The Freedom in Work
Dearest Rachel – “Work makes [you] free.” So the saying goes, most notoriously and deceptively on the iron gates of Auschwitz. Personally, I was never one to believe it; you recall how grateful I was to be freed from my job when your parents passed away, and you were pleased to be able to letContinue reading “The Freedom in Work”
Can’t Get Him Out of the House
Dearest Rachel – In a way, I think I’d prefer to talk to you about my dream from last night, but it was so much of a non sequitur that I wouldn’t be able to make much of a story out of it. Basically, it involved my dad and I trying to sell a litterContinue reading “Can’t Get Him Out of the House”
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”
So Why Make the Offer in the First Place?
Dearest Rachel – For all that I’ve been saying that every day this week was going to be a little unusual – at least, insofar as none of them have been a typical ‘9 to 5’ day at the ‘office’ – that hasn’t proven to be quite true. Today is actually likely to be aContinue reading “So Why Make the Offer in the First Place?”
Letters to Rachel 