Dearest Rachel – I was getting serious flashbacks from 2020 yesterday morning, honey. You remember that year; we’d all been tested for Covid before Thanksgiving, for the sake of the folks (and, I think, at the recommendation, if not requirement, of the government when it came to such gatherings at the time). Yours and Daniel’sContinue reading “Half the Holiday”
Tag Archives: misadventures
Our First Misadventure
Dearest Rachel – It’s said that it’s the misadventures that make the memories when you’re traveling (yes, I rather realize I’m effectively quoting myself; that doesn’t make it any less true). If that’s so, Daniel and I may have finally given ourselves a memorable trip to London, even as it’s short and limited in anyContinue reading “Our First Misadventure”
Meanwhile, Back Home…
Dearest Rachel – I just stuffed the bags back into the car behind my driver’s seat again this morning. Normally, I’ve got this rotation of two of the many (most of which I either disposed of or gave away) cloth grocery bags you left behind, for when I stop at Aldi – either one, asContinue reading “Meanwhile, Back Home…”
Time for (Mis)Adventure
Dearest Rachel – In a way, it feels weird to spend a day completely away from working at Just One, especially considering how much work there is to do. The poor, as Jesus said, will always be with us, and they will always have needs we can fill for them, hopefully in an attempt toContinue reading “Time for (Mis)Adventure”
What You Least Expect
Dearest Rachel – I knew from the outset that whatever I was expecting from a classroom here in Honduras, it wasn’t going to be like what one was like in the States (or, for that matter, since I’ve seen more of their classrooms in the years post-graduation, Japan). The trouble is, I couldn’t visualize whatContinue reading “What You Least Expect”
I’ll Never Quite Get Used to It
Dearest Rachel – I have this goal regarding travel that, one day, I’d get to the point where it’s a perfectly normal thing to show up at the airport, get on a plane, and be on my way to wherever it is I’m wanting to go without another thought. It’ll be almost a routine thing;Continue reading “I’ll Never Quite Get Used to It”
Once Burned
Dearest Rachel – All too often, when we would bring home a certain local foodstuff from one or another of our travels, it would get lost in the back of the pantry and just go stale or otherwise bad. Sometimes, it would be due to a fear of never be able to have it againContinue reading “Once Burned”
The Cards We Are Dealt
Dearest Rachel – Sometimes, I have several story lines going on at the same time, and start one or two letters to you, hoping I can flesh them out before the situation itself goes stale. Other times, an idea occurs to me that requires me to at least set up the framework before I forgetContinue reading “The Cards We Are Dealt”
Not Ready For VR
Dearest Rachel – I know there was a point at which I considered the idea of getting a VR headset for the office, even before the accident. While I hadn’t planned on becoming a YouTube gamer, it might have been interesting to have tried out the latest hardware, and let others know if it wasContinue reading “Not Ready For VR”
Quite the Scrape
Dearest Rachel – I should probably mention that to a large extent, this isn’t really my story to tell; much of what happened here happened to Daniel, and I’ve only gotten the bare bones of it all. Which is part of the reason I’m writing you about it, since Daniel isn’t going to say muchContinue reading “Quite the Scrape”
At Participating Locations, While Supplies Last
Dearest Rachel – While I’m sure that, to a certain extent, I coddle both Daniel and his friend Logan a bit more than I should, given that they’re supposedly grown men who should be able to pay their own way in life at their age, I don’t know that I can really help myself. I’mContinue reading “At Participating Locations, While Supplies Last”
A Waste of Time and Money
Dearest Rachel – Another year of the convention scene, another reminder that the scene has passed me by. I wish I didn’t have to utter the cliché “I’m getting too old for this,” but more and more, I’m starting to realize how well it fits. There’s no place for dilettantes in Otaku Nation; you’re eitherContinue reading “A Waste of Time and Money”
Where Are the IT Guys?
Dearest Rachel – I wouldn’t blame you if, at this point, you’d be wondering why I haven’t put together a recap of my first day in Mumbai, at least. I’ve been prompt enough with all the other places, now, haven’t I? Yeah, well… about that… It’s not that I don’t have the material, I promiseContinue reading “Where Are the IT Guys?”
Better Than Cook’s Tour?
Dearest Rachel – Back in the day, I understand that Thomas Cook & Son was considered to be the gold standard for tourism; the “Cook’s tour” was proverbial for being given a decent understanding of a place and situation, whether a new job or an actual vacation spot. So, taking into account that the jobContinue reading “Better Than Cook’s Tour?”
For This I Risked Deportation?
Dearest Rachel – It was a little over a week ago – just as we were coming into Vietnam – when the phone in my stateroom rang. For all the time I spend here (sometimes acknowledging that I really shouldn’t; at least, not as much as I do), this isn’t a thing that happens. IfContinue reading “For This I Risked Deportation?”
Singapore
Dearest Rachel – Well, we’ll soon be in the last place on my itinerary that I’ve been to before. The funny thing is, the one moment I most vividly remember from this place has little to do with it as such, and was just an incident whose circumstances could just as easily have happened anywhereContinue reading “Singapore”
Well, Ain’t This a Crock
Dearest Rachel – Even before you had to go, I’d been known to say that misadventures make for the best stories. They aren’t fun when you’re in the middle of them, but some of the ‘best’ (if you can call them that) ones make for uproarious tales, at least in retrospect. Most of them have to doContinue reading “Well, Ain’t This a Crock”
Chasing the Robot
Dearest Rachel – So, last night we went out to that conveyor belt sushi place that’s not the Station – the one out by Woodfield – to belatedly celebrate Logan’s birthday. In a way, he’s become rather a part of the family, complete with me having to nag him about getting his finances in orderContinue reading “Chasing the Robot”
An Exercise in Willpower
Dearest Rachel – So, after a day of trying to get Daniel to eat a little more (which turned out to be less than necessary, as he’s more than capable of doing so, if he wants to, and there’s something in front of him) by setting more of an example than I probably ought toContinue reading “An Exercise in Willpower”
The Return of Samurai Dan
Dearest Rachel – For all that I’ve talked about the atmosphere surrounding the convention, I haven’t told you anything about the actual scheduled events. Part of that is because, even when we were attending these things together, we were rarely all that concerned about the panels, the guests, the screenings and all the other scheduledContinue reading “The Return of Samurai Dan”
Too Harsh for a Laugh?
Dearest Rachel – You’ll remember staying at the one in Jerusalem; now we’ve gotten ourselves moved into a room at one in Nazareth. And for whatever reason, I can’t help but be reminded (as unfairly as it might be applied to them) by this song: I’m pretty sure you would have shared in the giggleContinue reading “Too Harsh for a Laugh?”
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”
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”
Bad Charlotte or, When Do I Get My Superpowers?
Dearest Rachel – I’m not entirely sure when it started; I’m thinking it was early this past week, either Monday or Tuesday. It might have been earlier, too – I just don’t remember. Whenever it was, I assumed it was just a mosquito bite on my thumb, right alongside of my knuckle. Nothing particularly unusualContinue reading “Bad Charlotte or, When Do I Get My Superpowers?”
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”
Letters to Rachel 