Cody's trip to India has taken on an epic status. Between his Instagram account and his post-cards-from-the-edge style of rewarding his XFan subscribers, scacely a day goes by without something startling to look at. First, it was just the reality of being present in the world's largest functioning democracy. The isle of Goa was as much as any of us ( Read more... )

I think I mentioned at some point during the pandemic that I'd started having a different sort of dream, different in the sense of theme and types of anxiety that it covered.  I call them my Rip Winkle dreams, named after the children's story of the old man who falls asleep for twenty years and awakens in the future ( Read more... )

This has been a difficult summer. So far, at least three close relationships have spent time in hospital, with one facing insurmountable odds against leaving while of this planet. They are Bing, one of my best friends; my brother and my lone surviving parental sibling, my Aunt Nannie ( Read more... )

Along with the announcement that the Happy Couple will  be arriving in August, comes news that they will be doing so by automobiile, clear across the continent. I cannot think of anything more exciting (assuming, they're not already jaded by the idea of Seeing America First, or Second or Next - however one wants to put it) for two young people to ( Read more... )

Cary Grant is one of my heroes. Loved how he defied the march of time, dallied with gender-bending relationships and finally found happiness in late-stage parenthood. He was so very sui generis; a Brit who would slowly over time embody the very essence of cool, American, male, insouciance. And, yet behind that ever present twinkle in the eye, there ( Read more... )

My head has been in the clouds ever since Independence Day. Summers in Middletown turn an otherwise taciturn and rather cold minor city into a fairly friendly small town. I've been getting to know the Vietnamese family that runs the restaurant across the street from me. Mom and Dad both speak English with impreccable American accents and pipe in ( Read more... )

The weekend actually started as soon as I got off the train in Richmond. Unbeknownst to me, my North Carolina cousins had been texting me about my Cousin Reva's birthday which was that very day. Unfortunately, I was too zonked out by the endless hypnotic effect of scenery passing before my eyes to bother checking my smartphone. Travel has a narco ( Read more... )

I should point out that lots of other things happened over the weekend. I mentioned that the monastery was every bit as bucolic as any co-counseling site; but, what I didn't mention was how much historic value the surrounding river valley brought to the table. We were literally within a few miles of the FDR presidential library. The view of the ( Read more... )

An all hands on deck e-mail went out early on Saturday to all the members of the Vestry. The snowstorm had hit the very weekend St. Michael's was expecting to hold its Annual Meeting and the voting for a new batch of Vestry members and Warden. One Warden was already sending her apologies due to being stranded in California. The Bings, I would find ( Read more... )

As soon as Crosby started pulling on his jacket (the greenish suede/corduroy one, with the short waist) I took a quick trip to the men's room. I didn't want that last minute beer holding my bladder for ransom half-way home. When I got back, Huggy and he were waiting and Crosby raised his arms in triumph, exclaiming, "My crew!" It was the first time ( Read more... )