1.1. A possibly transgender woman gets coffee in the workplace cafeteria.  She radiates warmth and grace. When she leaves the coffee station, a bunch of middle-aged dudes start cracking up like she's the funniest thing they ever saw, turn into hissing, chortling junior high kids. She gets referred as "it ( Read more... )

As am I writing this book about a bullied youth, I remember my own experience in the past, before bullying was given the spotlight that it deserves. 
I remember the worst incident.  I was in summer school, around 4th or 5th grade and a bunch of kids beat me up during gym class, while the teacher watched.  Being beaten up was bad enough--I recall ( Read more... )

Walking to the Metro from work, I passed a man who was the spitting image of Kim Stanley Robinson.  It was such a striking resemble that I stopped, pulled out my earbuds and half-assedly mouthed his name aloud.  (To no avail).
This weird encounter is underscored by the fact that the one time I spoke to him (at Clarion West) he told me he used to ( Read more... )

This last temp assignment was in a chauffeur dispatch office.  Lots of screaming and frantic calls, due to the fact that this is IMF week.  One of the clients was 'Deutsche Bank.'   A dispatcher (with a heavy accent) pronounced it, 'Douche Bag.'

The trip to New York was manna for the soul.  In addition to the Lethe Press event, I hung out and met with a couple of interesting people/kindred spirits.

I had a cocktail and a snack with the artist
( Read more... )

Friday night:  Ethiopian food with
( Read more... )

Back in the 90s, when I worked part time for my dad's dental office while looking for a full time job, there was a woman with a lunch delivery service that went from office to office with fresh, homemade food.  My late father would frequently buy us lunch from her.  I remember her soups, sandwiches, and especially her all butter poundcakes fondly.

( Read more... )

Saturday was Columbia Heights day.  The festival took place across the street from my house, in the schoolyard there, so I ambled over.  The highlight of the festival was the petting zoo they had there.  A camel, a macaw, a goat, three rabbits, an alpaca, a miniature horse and a Patagonia cavy (that looks like a cross between fawn and a jack rabbit ( Read more... )

Environmental activism, 2 blocks from my house:


( Read more... )

Sometimes, it's easy to forget that I live in a neighborhood in transition. But at times, its former incarnation as a crime haven asserts itself ( Read more... )