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

Thursday, May 20, 2010

It's raining. Again, or yet -- however you want to put it.

The sun came out for a bit three days ago... or was it four? I was fascinated by all the blazing shades of green, the emerald grass, deep blue green of a flowering tree across the alley, and nearby a strange round tree with leaves so dense the inner circle was deep forest green and the fringes were... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 8:31 AM | add or view comments (2) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Sex, Drugs, and Irony

I once typeset research papers for a guy who remarked out of the blue that the be-all and end-all was cosmic sex. He said all human endeavor was designed to procure it. I was surprised by the comment, smack dab in the middle of a Q&A on his scribbled notes. My knee-jerk mental response was that’s... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 7:07 AM | add or view comments (5) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

The '60s, courtesy of writer Joan Didion...

I found "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" -- a collection of her essays -- on my bookshelf as I was finding the niche for Louise Erdrich's "Shadow Tag." "Slouching" was first published as a collection in 1968, reprinted at least 11 times. The title is a fragment from a poem by W.B. Yeats, and I should... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:41 AM | add or view comments (3) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Monday, May 17, 2010

Moment of Hope -- idea for a story

Introduction There’s that interlude of hope that comes just after you’ve done something totally unlike yourself. In that moment you think maybe, just maybe, you’ve gotten away with it. Maybe the fates weren’t watching, maybe Karma was busy elsewhere. There was no witness who knows anyone you know.... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 10:19 AM | add or view comments (3) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Book Review: "Shadow Tag" by Louise Erdrich

A woman begins keeping a separate diary after she realizes her husband is reading the one in her desk. She lies in the one he reads, explains the truth in her private journal. I could see this story unfold in my mind's eye, like they'd already made the movie -- the settings, the characters. And it... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 6:55 AM | add or view comments (1) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Rush to Judgment

I'm a fan of Court TV. They broadcast live trials, real opening and closing statements by prosecutors and defense attorneys, real questioning of real witnesses. There's a lot of "expert" opinion back at the studio by a panel of on-camera talent (lawyers, former prosecuters, etc.) and field reporters... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:44 AM | add or view comments (4) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Saturday, May 15, 2010

(not just) another cable guy

This absolutely adorable guy rang my doorbell yesterday. I'd just started playing the latest edition of "The Marriage Ref" from my On Demand channel, and wasn't thrilled about the interruption. This was the edition with Bette Midler and Howie Mandell, and I'd missed it a couple days ago. So I opened... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 6:01 AM | add or view comments (4) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Friday, May 14, 2010

Robin's Nest in the Grapevine

I’m worried about the robins who set up housekeeping on the grape vines that wind among metal crossbraces on the grape arbor. Through the kitchen window I saw them location shopping like would-be home owners in a new neighborhood. They visited several times, considered other possibilities. I thought... Sign in to see full entry.

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

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Amy's story -- conclusion "Invisible Children"

Amy's friends, Blake and Ronnie, told her about the Invisible Children organization in September, and asked her to be part of their project to make a video. They got busy calling others at Oakville High, including student groups, teachers -- and they got Jimmy John's to sponsor the event. 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

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Invisible Children -- Amy's words

My granddaughter Amy is a Freshman at Oakville High in St. Louis. In September two friends, Blake S. and Ronnie B. talked to her about the Invisible Children "roadies" who are taking the message to students and schools across the country. The students at Oakville put together a video clip to get the... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 7:13 AM | add or view comments (5) | 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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