Walking into the interview in Burlington, Vermont, there was a small side waiting room of sorts in the hallway with a group of people a little younger than I am, all dressed in suits and all looking rather nervous. I sat down and introduced myself, and soon we were all chatting ( Read more... )

36 hour drive from Washington DC to Atlanta to Denver.

36 hours.

Straight.

No sleep.

36 hours.

Am tired. Will update again the next time I'm concious.

After getting a few hours of rest in upstate New York, I woke up early and kept driving northeast. Upstate New York is covered in snow, with the trees hovering over the boundaries of the interstate, yearning for more room. The pavement is still wet from the night’s light snow, making cross country driving a constant game of chess with regards to ( Read more... )

After lounging about at the Kafe Kerouac last night, I went back to Carolyn’s place where I had plans to do nothing more than read a little and get some sleep. But before long, her diminutive roommate came home and I convinced her we should get something to eat.

That is how Maria Of The Sea and I wound up overeating under a rhinoceros.

Read ( Read more... )

I awoke at 5:30 yesterday morning in Ames, IA and looked out the window to see a light inch of powdery snow covering the landscape. Flakes were floating down in quarter sized clumps that you could almost hear hit the ground. It was dark, still, chilly and calm. It also meant potential road hazards, so I wanted to get going. Benette was awake ( Read more... )

In a green Honda, armed only with a half a dozen books of essays, a suit with various shirts and ties, a pocket knife, a leatherman, a large bottle of water, an iPod full of music, and my trusty battered laptop, I charged full speed into America. It’s time to see the country again ( Read more... )

HST, RIPWhen I was 17 years old, my younger sister read a book ( Read more... )

I went to dinner last night with a friend from college. She’s apparently been busy the last couple of years. She earned her degree from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, moved to a small coal mining town to become a journalist for several months, and is now the marketing director at a whole foods market. At 24 years old, she’s ( Read more... )

Hey everyone (all 4 of you), my best friend of the last 12 years had a daughter last Thursday. Her name is Zoe Emma Duke. She finally has managed what I've failed to do for the last decade, given him some modicum of class. You should all go here to congratulate him. She is gorgeous, and here she is with her rather exhausted father the day after ( Read more... )

I’m not much of a fan of Valentine’s day. It seems a little artificial to me. And before you can point fingers and say “Well, that’s just because you’re a bitter, single guy!”, let me say that my last girlfriend agreed with me, and the holiday was never celebrated. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have any memorable times associated with it ( Read more... )