Most years I’m loathe to take down the Christmas stuff. Place always seems a bit drab afterwards.
This afternoon, though, I pulled it all down. Packed it into boxes and into the closet it all went. Found myself downright eager to do so, I’ll admit.
I wonder why?
Posted in Random Thoughts
I’m writing this on paper, sitting on a road next to railroad tracks in the middle of nowhere.
It’s the first of January. I’m driving south, headed back to LA.
Posted in Random Thoughts
(Written partially whilst happily traveling by train; edited after enduring a depressing event I’ll detail later. This post may be a bit, uh, dyslexic?.)
Trains are good for writing. It rather makes me wish that I could travel by train between Southern and Northern California since, in addition to writing, I could get in a bit of reading and napping as well.
It’s nice to think of the potential of train travel, given the renewed interest in it. Well, the renewed interest so long as gas prices remained high. A bit sad, too, to think of what was lost between the great era of rail travel and now. Yeah, sure, I love my truck, but I’d much rather take a train for a visit on the East Coast or Canada or the South or wherever.
Shame.
Posted in Life, Random Thoughts
I’ve gained probably 10 pounds of non-muscle to be sure, but The Best Friend, having not seen me for a year, noted that my chest and shoulders seemed a bit broader.
Playfully punching me in the arm later on, she noted the fact that the arm she punched was a tiny bit bigger and more muscular than, well, anytime she’s punched me in the arm in the past 15+ years.
I’ll try not to let it go to my head, but given that most days it sure doesn’t feel like the effort is having any effect, it’s somewhat gratifying to know that all the work and sweat at the gym might be doing a wee bit of good after all…
Posted in Exercise, Friendship, San Francisco
Okay, I just want to be very clear about this, right from the start. I love my parents. I really do. I love The Parentage with all my little GeekHiker heart.
Okay, are we all clear on that now? Everybody understand?
Good.
Now can I admit that my parents often manage to frustrate the bloody hell out of me?
Posted in Family, Random Thoughts, Rants
Just a quickie post to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! And, of course, a Happy Holidays to everyone, whatever your persuasion.
I’m up north, per usual. As we do every year on Christmas Eve, The Parentage and I watched “A Christmas Carol” (the George C. Scott version, thank you very much). Plans for the next few days are up in the air but generally consist of much relaxation, and posting may be a bit thin.
Hope this finds you all are safe, sound, and relaxed for the holiday.
Now, I gotta get to bed. According to NORAD, Santa’s ‘comin soon.
😀
Posted in Random Thoughts
On more than one occasion, it’s been suggested that maybe it’s time that I move to a different town. That maybe I’d be happier outside of LA. As I’m getting ready to hit the road in a couple of days, I hear those suggestions in my head as well right now.
Don’t worry. This isn’t going to be a long, rambling post about all that.
Thing is that every time I consider moving, I have this intangible feeling in the back of my head. Not quite a concern, not quite a fear, I really have no idea how to describe it.
Posted in Random Thoughts
The big cold storms that rolled through Southern California last week did have at least one very cool side benefit: they dumped a couple of feet of fresh, powdery snow up in the mountains. And so I headed up with a small group this weekend to do the Highway 2 Snowshoe, which is a good warm up for what will (hopefully) be a long snowshoe season.
Posted in Hiking
Last weekend I was invited to a birthday dinner. It was for one of the people in one of the groups that I occasionally do activities with.
I was initially inclined to go, but when the evening rolled around, I just, well, didn’t. For whatever reason, I just didn’t want to. Didn’t want to drive an hour and a half (trust me, I looked at sigalert.com and that’s what it would have taken with all the accidents) to try to find parking in Hollywood to hang out and be social with a group of people, most of whom were strangers.
Posted in Uncategorized
Today’s post by the talented and beautiful Charlotte Harris reminded me of an incident in my own youth.
My Mom was a teacher, as many of you know, but I may have never revealed that when I was a kid she was a teachers assistant for a hard-of-hearing/deaf class in our school. As such she often served as interpreter during guest speaker presentations.
Posted in Family, Random Thoughts
The GeekHiker 