Could Have Been So Much Worse

Dearest Rachel – You might have noticed that I’ve said very little about my weight or exercise regimen over the past couple of weeks, but you probably haven’t been wondering much about its absence. After all, Daniel and I have been cruising, and you know what it’s like. You were with me on enough ofContinue reading “Could Have Been So Much Worse”

Determined to Leave it Behind

Dearest Rachel – It’s the sort of thing that, had it happened to you, you would be distraught about. Daniel acknowledged that he would be distraught – and he brought along a spare on this trip. And maybe I ought to be, considering how far I’d come with it over the past year and aContinue reading “Determined to Leave it Behind”

Beverage Plan

Dearest Rachel – You might remember that we never concerned ourselves with a drinks package when we went cruising back in the day. It was quite sufficient to stick with lemonade, iced tea and (in Daniel’s case) milk while in the dining room, since we didn’t drink alcohol– and as far as soft drinks go,Continue reading “Beverage Plan”

The Rules of Recab

Dearest Rachel – There’s an obscure story in the middle of the book of Jeremiah, in chapter 35, where the prophet is instructed to invite members of a certain family, descendants of a man named Recab, to eat with him at the Temple. Now, it so happens that this family had a number of traditions,Continue reading “The Rules of Recab”

The Hundred Kilo Coup

Dearest Rachel – Another weekend, another day and a half of fasting, with all the attendant effects. Some of them are good – even intended, which I’ll get to eventually – but some of them can be a real test of willpower. I actually felt slightly bad on Saturday night when one of the guysContinue reading “The Hundred Kilo Coup”

Funnier in My Head

Dearest Rachel – In some ways, last night had to have involved one of the more stereotypical dreams that I’ve ever had; it involved getting up in front of a crowd and speaking. but once you get into the details, it gets a little bit less conventional. That’s because I had been asked to doContinue reading “Funnier in My Head”

Once, Twice, Three Times a Philosopher

Dearest Rachel – There is a story about Voltaire that tells of him being invited to a party by some of his more… libertine… friends. For all intents and purposes, this was basically an orgy. The story doesn’t relate as to whether he actually participated in the events of the night, but one is leftContinue reading “Once, Twice, Three Times a Philosopher”

A Quiet Cup of Cocoa

Dearest Rachel – Well, for all the food I managed to ply the girls with last night (and some of the stuff that they brought in turn), we never got around to the cocoa. I had been hoping to use some of the stuff that I had gotten for Christmas from ‘Santa’ (ha ha) withContinue reading “A Quiet Cup of Cocoa”