We take our skills for granted. Whenever I get into a car and pull out of the driveway, I naturally assume I’ll have the skill to maneuver the vehicle around all corners, stay steady in my own lane, watch the mirrors and the road at the same time and stop before I hit a pedestrian. But like everyone else, there was a time when I had no such skill ( Read more... )

There is something fun and magical about living with a 14 year old musician. I’ll be hacking away at this website and trying to figure out how it all works, and suddenly a piano or a violin pierces the air with melodies. Songs sung with the untrained squeaking of a teenage girl echo down the hallway to my room. And every time I smile. In the 3 ( Read more... )

I don’t have very good hearing. I was born with an ear infection, and was partially deaf in both ears as an infant. I had surgery to put tubes in my ears several times as a child. Last time I checked my range, I was still within the normal human range of hearing, but towards the bottom end ( Read more... )

I spent several hours today in 2 auto shops. I’m prepping my father’s Honda for a trip to the west coast in a few days. It is a rule of the universe that every vehicle my father owns will have fucked up brakes. I honestly don’t know why. So I took it to the shop today, and found that it wasn’t as easy as just replacing the pads (it never is, is ( Read more... )

Coming back to the United States after these last 4 months has left me a little speechless. It’s not that I don’t have things to say, it’s that I see so much I want to talk about that I’m intimidated by it all. There is so much going on here that took me a while to get used to again ( Read more... )

Again, thank you to everyone who wrote me letters, postcards, sent packages, emails, or just wished me well from afar. While I was in little danger, I can’t easily describe how the support from friends back home made my life easier ( Read more... )

After 7 flights, 6 layovers, 5 countries, 3 days, and god knows how much bad airline food, I have returned to a very warm welcome. I am also extremely tired. I shall now sleep until I wake up at 2AM due to my jet-lag, and will hopefully have something witty to say again. Thank you to everyone for reading my blog of misadventures while I was away ( Read more... )

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