Life in the fast lane--where's the on ramp?

By Pat_B - About Me - E-mail this page - Add to My Favorites - Add to Blog List - See other blogs in Journal

Monday, January 23, 2012

Happy New Year 4710

I didn't remember when I titled my blog yesterday that today would be the first day of Lunar New Year 4710, the Year of the Dragon. This is the day to give lucky money in red envelopes for good luck. A Vietnamese co-worker of mine at Seattle Central Community College a few years ago gave me one, and... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:31 AM | add or view comments (4) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Shake your fist at the dragon.

Sometimes a puny sword can scare off a dragon's first swoop if we stand tall and ignore his horrible hot breath, if we take a swipe as he gets close, maybe nick his scaly hide and draw a drop or two of his acid green blood. But we know he'll be back. Sat. a.m. - an overnight rain froze on... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 4:14 AM | add or view comments (4) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Writing a Biography

My mother lived in interesting times, as the old saying goes. I lived with her through some of those times and lived to tell the tale. But I couldn't. Tell the tale, that is. Too much emotion came to the surface as I dug into things that happened. Recently I found an angle from which to tell my... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 6:44 AM | add or view comments (6) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Friday, January 20, 2012

Seen around town

If you remember "Bambi" and the great stag who was the fawn's father, you'll have a mental picture of the "king of the forest" who seems to have claimed parts of Mundane as its territory. Son Guy went out to get in his car a couple days ago. There was the stag, his impressive rack turned in a kind... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 6:00 AM | add or view comments (3) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

On Writing

Author's Memory Writing a story is remembering something that never happened. It’s seeing what happens and where it takes place, knowing how each action-reaction affects everything else and the eventual result. I call it “author’s memory.” At times a writer is of two minds or more as she adds... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:28 AM | add or view comments (6) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

My haunted house...

There was something about that house on the corner that seemed to invite me to come in. It was a block up the street from the university's satellite offices known as the Wagner Center. In 1966, my chief clerk's job and the print shop where Fang worked were located there. We drove past that corner... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:46 AM | add or view comments (2) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Monday, January 16, 2012

Ninety-Four Hamsters (from MSNBC online)

About five years ago Lonely Guy bought a couple hamsters and a setup for them, to share his small apartment. He fed, watered, watched and cleaned up after his happy little companions. Then Buddy and Sissy begat little Joe, Judy, and Mike. No-longer-lonely-guy added to the habitrail system, put in... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:16 AM | add or view comments (4) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Sunday, January 15, 2012

You've seen that look

If you're over 60, or if you've ever told the same story twice to the same person, you've seen that look. The eyes slide to one side. There's a sigh, and then it comes full on: the look that says 'please, just get to the end. I can't take much more of this." Doesn't matter if the listener loves or... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:04 AM | add or view comments (2) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Saturday, January 14, 2012

I want you to take the initiative to ...

Dr. K was our boss, prematurely white-haired, big guy with a great smile, always wore gray or dark blue suits, white shirts & a tie. I liked the way he talked about his wife, genuinely fond of her, proud of his children, his outlook was optimistic. Even then, in the early '80s, he was kind of a... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:19 AM | add or view comments (4) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Friday, January 13, 2012

The Apocalypse

I've forgotten the names of the Four Horsemen, but I believe they ride out of thunder and smoke, bringing an end to illusion and misperception. The Mossyrock High School Vikings had a special cheer back in the glory days. It went "Heap big smoke, but no fire" repeated four times. Usually it was... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 6:40 AM | add or view comments (6) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

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Sometimes you have to write it down in order to learn what you really think about life, what it means, how to do what's best. Sometimes you need feedback from someone else to put things in perspective.

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