Dearest Rachel – There are neighborhoods that have problems with what I understand are referred to as ‘porch pirates,’ and while I can’t imagine that being an issue in a relatively affluent and homogeneous socioeconomic area as ours, I get the driving force behind it. Covetousness is a thing that exists (otherwise, why would thereContinue reading “Reverse Porch Piracy”
Tag Archives: humor
Never Insult a Customer?
Dearest Rachel – You might remember the “Dirty Knife Sketch” from Monty Python’s Flying Circus (honestly, this is one of those things where I’m going to have such a hard time finding a ‘Megumi’ with a comparable sense of humor to yours. Between these guys and the Three Stooges, you were such a rare birdContinue reading “Never Insult a Customer?”
Righteous But Ribald
Dearest Rachel – I’m not sure where to begin with this particular topic; it feels almost awkward to bring up, let alone explain what brought it to mind. Then again, I could argue that the way we would spend Saturday mornings make this topic the most natural thing to discuss every now and again. ButContinue reading “Righteous But Ribald”
Dusting Upon Dusting
Dearest Rachel – Supposedly, it’s that time of the year; when the snow falls in such great quantities that it piles up chest-high on either side of the road, especially on the driveways once they’ve been shoveled clear (or at least, mostly clear – one can never quite get all the way down to theContinue reading “Dusting Upon Dusting”
Home Made Posters
Dearest Rachel – For all that they were (to a certain extent: we met there, we were young there, and while it may have been challenging at times, it’s hard to deny how much those first two obviate the third item) arguably the best days of our lives, I don’t think I talk all thatContinue reading “Home Made Posters”
Impulse Indulgence
Dearest Rachel – I’m honestly not sure how you would have reacted; maybe, as you hear the details, you wouldn’t think of it as such a big deal. And, truth be told, it wasn’t quite the impulse buy as the title might indicate (although there wasn’t that much thought put into it, either, leading toContinue reading “Impulse Indulgence”
Sometimes There’s A Reason
Dearest Rachel – There are people who have made their careers making fun of the stupid things that others do, say and, particularly in this case, ask. MAD Magazine’s late Al Jaffee (would you know if he’s up there with you? Would you recognize him if he was?) had his collections of “Snappy Answers to StupidContinue reading “Sometimes There’s A Reason”
Catching Up With the Crowd
Dearest Rachel – Twenty-two miles in, and I haven’t seen hide nor hair of Erin – which, if she’s wearing that bright orange kerchief she’d been sporting at church last night as part of her running ensemble (an eminently suitable choice, being both brightly colored and a unique combination), she really ought to be easyContinue reading “Catching Up With the Crowd”
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”
I’m With Stupid (Times Two)
Dearest Rachel – You know, one of the things that I really miss about your absence is the fact that I’m no longer able to just say whatever I want to. If something popped into my head, I could just lean over to you and say it, without too much fear of you judging meContinue reading “I’m With Stupid (Times Two)”
Clearing One’s Sinuses
Dearest Rachel – There really is something to be said for T.S. Eliot’s theory of ‘the death of the author.’ The idea of it is that a work of art can and should be enjoyed without having to consider its creator’s biography or influences. It’s something of a take on the old saw that youContinue reading “Clearing One’s Sinuses”
We Give Time Significance
Dearest Rachel – These days, it seems that you have to have a sense of humor to deal with what’s happening in the world each day. A sick sense of gallows humor, to be sure – probably along the lines of someone who would be an expert at Cards Against Humanity or something like thatContinue reading “We Give Time Significance”
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”
The Deadpan Voice of Reason
Dearest Rachel – Another early morning, another weird dream. And, as a consequence, another hour or so of dictating to Siri before it fades out completely. This one didn’t involve anyone I know except me, but it did literally involve a complete cast of characters. I couldn’t tell you, now that I’ve woken up, whetherContinue reading “The Deadpan Voice of Reason”
Snow, Man!
Dearest Rachel – There are so many reasons why I wish you were still here. I’ve gone on and on about a number of them throughout the course of this last year; I don’t need to bore you with the details right now, since I’ve been doing that all this time. One of those reasonsContinue reading “Snow, Man!”
Glitches, Botches, Dreams and Reality
Dearest Rachel – For the last couple of weeks, we’ve been watching several new channels that I’m sure you would’ve appreciated were you still around, hanging out with us in the family room while YouTube was running in the background. We started looking for such channels after watching a video essay on the concept itself,Continue reading “Glitches, Botches, Dreams and Reality”
The Payoff
Dearest Rachel – After pondering last night’s dream, I found myself wondering about how, exactly, I would be expected to make good on such a wager in the first place. For that matter, for the other guy – whoever the heck he was – to even expect me to do so would have required himContinue reading “The Payoff”
Jester-Philosopher, Rather Than Philosopher-King
Dearest Rachel – I feel like I should be sleeping the sleep of the dead up here, like everybody else in the lodge. I’ve exerted myself in ways that I haven’t in a very long time, and I believe my body knows it needs rest. But while it tries to get that needed rest, myContinue reading “Jester-Philosopher, Rather Than Philosopher-King”
Inside Jokes
Dearest Rachel – Well, that’s one major headache taken care of. I’ve gotten our tax returns back from our preparers, written out the appropriate amounts we owe – both for last year and for this year’s first installment – and will take them to the post office tomorrow and mail them out certified (just asContinue reading “Inside Jokes”
Letters to Rachel 