Original anecdotes, commentary, rumination, and occasional pontification.
FEBRUARY 20, 2023 – (Cont.) Now back to the big lie of Ivan’s “murder.” In fact, he was alive—if not exactly well—as proved by Peter’s mother (Ivan’s step-mother) courageously leading both boys by the hand out to confront the crazy mob of Streltsy crazies (egged on, historians believe, by Ivan’s older sister, Sophia, who sought …
FEBRUARY 19, 2023 – Today I didn’t attempt to ski. I risked life and limb slipping, sliding and otherwise navigating a course to “Little Switzerland” to confirm that I couldn’t ski without risking life and limb. Between audible cursing and intense concentration to stay upright, I considered proposals for the subject of today’s post. Since …
FEBRUARY 18, 2023 – My mood took a hit today when I discovered that iced-over “Little Switzerland” remains a big fail for skiing. My attitude plunged further after I examined a Venn Diagram of three news items. The first was a one-year review of Putin’s War—a brutal, pointless outrage spawned by a dictator’s megalomania and …
FEBRUARY 17, 2023 – Last night I experienced an unusual dream segment. It was connected to a long, diverse chain of dreams; a seemingly endless train like the one that ambles past a crossing on my way to downtown St. Paul whenever I’m running late. With several acquaintances, I was standing in a hallway somewhere. …
FEBRUARY 16, 2023 – Today I experienced another bone marrow biopsy ahead of my six-month-post-transplant appointment with Dr. Killjoy. The doc earned his nickname when he said last August, “No more downhill skiing for you.” I plan to show him a picture of S-turns I made recently on a downhill ski slope. I’ll explain that …
FEBRUARY 15, 2023 – No one likes to hear one’s spouse yell from upstairs first thing in the morning, “There’s no hot water!” If you pretend not to hear, you’ll soon find yourself in . . . hot water. Yet, if you promptly acknowledge the announcement, before the day is done, you’ll be in hot …
FEBRUARY 14, 2023 – Michaela, the smart, cheerful nurse who administers the study I’m in, understands me well. That’s partly a result of the trouble I caused at the outset by asking questions to which she replied, “I’ll have to get back to you on that.” By regular injections of humor, however, I was able …
FEBRUARY 13, 2023 – Amidst the day’s stresses, missteps, mishaps, curveballs, roadblocks, news headlines and yes, ice-canyons in the alleyway, the sun smiled—when I looked up long enough to notice. Plus, there were the gems—my monthly, uplifting appointment with my hero, Dr. Kolla; a walk with a friend and scintillating conversation about the study of …
FEBRUARY 12, 2023 – Sitting in today’s ocular light of our national figurative Pantheon, of course, is Abraham Lincoln. No other president has been so revered for so long, except by Confederates during (and after) the Civil War. Volumes have been written about the 16th president, much of the treatment in praise of the man …
FEBRUARY 11, 2023 – I have a very good college friend who told me a very funny story the other day. It was a self-deprecating tale he’d recently recounted in a public forum—as part of an address before a gathering of esteemed citizens. Because of his comfort with self-deprecation, my friend wouldn’t be the least …
FEBRUARY 10, 2023 – Much has been made of the Chinese surveillance balloon that recently floated across the United States and was finally shot down over the coast of South Carolina. Most—though my no means all—of the “hullaballoon” was launched by indignant Republicans and their official megaphones. Why not? After all, they had what appeared …
FEBRUARY 9, 2023 – Blogger’s note: I apologize for the length of this post, but it’s nothing in contrast with the duration of suffering that will prevail in Turkey-Syria long after fading from our headlines. Yesterday I sat for my deposition by two New Jersey attorneys. In the prep session the day before, my lawyer …
FEBRUARY 8, 2023 – Later known as “Catherine the Great,” Sophia Augustus was considered the most enlightened monarch of her era. Many historians today also conclude that of all absolute rulers of the 18th century, Catherine was a standout. I recently completed reading Robert Massie’s acclaimed biography of the thoroughly German princess who, by a …
FEBRUARY 7, 2023 – In a hurry, I lugged things that partly define me: in a small backpack, The Overstory, a gift from my oldest sister, and a fresh set of clothes I hadn’t had time to change into; in my right hand, a plastic bag of trash and best set of x-c skis; in …
FEBRUARY 6, 2023 – This afternoon I switched from skis to snowshoes and headed into the woods. I wanted to harvest some poplar shoots for use in my next gnome home, and I knew a place where I’d find an ample supply. The challenge was reaching it through the heavy snow. My route took me …
FEBRUARY 5, 2023 – After imitating a prone coal-miner for an hour yesterday, hacking, chopping, picking away at the compacted snow under my car, I repaired to the cabin to fire up oak in the wood-burning stove and crank up Simon and Garfunkel on the CD (“Cabin Disc”) player. I then whipped up supper. While …
FEBRUARY 4, 2023 – Maybe winter’s getting to me. Yesterday I’d talked by phone with Beth about our narrowing drive and how our plow guy will have to round up a front-end loader to remove enough snow to accommodate the large gas truck that refills our propane tank. Otherwise, for the rest of the winter, …
FEBRUARY 3, 2023 – Last night here in northwest Wisconsin the temperature “went rogue,” plunging to minus 22F without regard to windchill. In such conditions, you get a little slap happy. Early yesterday evening I discovered that a banana had slipped out of a grocery bag and spent the previous 24 hours in the trunk …
FEBRUARY 2, 2023 – The Punxsutawney wonder’s performance today discouraged people who’ve had enough of winter. Understandably, a good share of the country’s citizens are among the disgruntled: we’re in for a “long” winter—specifically, another six weeks of it, which takes us to mid-March. In these parts, however, everyone knows that March is the snowiest …
FEBRUARY 1, 2023 – This afternoon just before sunset, I arrived at the head of our narrow, twisting drive to the Red Cabin. The last time I’d driven it, I’d summoned insufficient momentum for the sharp incline at the end. The car slid backward down the hill and into a snowbank. What ensued was our …
JANUARY 31, 2023 – After nearly a year into the Russian war against Ukraine, I’m amazed that any people or buildings are still standing in the second largest (geographically) country in Europe. Russia’s brutal assault, prompted by delusions of imperial grandeur and fed by the age-old Russian tactic of quantity over quality, seems destined to …
JANUARY 30, 2023 – The other day I attended to some light “work-work” against the backdrop of a recording by Itzhak Perlman performing Sergei Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in D. I hadn’t heard the piece in a while, and it evoked many memories; nothing specific, just remembrances of how great music has edified my …
JANUARY 29, 2023 – This morning, while reading the news and facing a window, I peered occasionally over the top of my laptop screen to monitor outside activity—sunlight inching along the snowbanks; trees shuddering in the cold; and periodically, a person in heavy wraps and with steaming breath, out walking the dog. The canine was …
JANUARY 28, 2023 – For many years I encountered no clients, lawyers or other parties whose mother tongue wasn’t English. Oops. I must amend that. There were two brothers with whom I tangled; real estate developers of Venetian origin, who spoke Italian first and English second—or maybe it was fourth or fifth, given their cosmopolitan …
JANUARY 27, 2023 – Last night I risked life and limb to take the garbage and recycling down our 50-foot-long driveway to the alley receptacles. Winter’s been hard on the big, hard-plastic bins. Smacked several times by the plow, they stand at odd angles, in rough cut-outs of the snowbanks along our rutted, ever-narrowing, nearly …