Original anecdotes, commentary, rumination, and occasional pontification.
OCTOBER 19, 2022 – (Cont.) The rest of the flight to Fort Lauderdale put me to sleep. In a dream, the Don was wearing a cheap, plastic, Halloween mask of Mike. The first thing the Don-disguised-as-Mike asked me was, “How many barroom brawls have you been in?” I woke with a start, shortly before our …
OCTOBER 18, 2022 – (Cont.) “[Mike],” I said. “I can win your goddamn case, but so far, you’re losing it. You’ve got to stop your notes and whispering. You’ve got to—got to—think of the table in there as a poker table. The judge and jurors are watching you, and trust me, you ain’t a pretty …
OCTOBER 17, 2022 – (Cont.) Later, when I appeared at Mike’s office to begin prepping him for trial, he asked how many “barroom brawls” I’d been in. I assumed he was asking figuratively, but when I started giving an account of my courtroom record, Mike cut in. “No, no, no,” he said. “I mean actual …
OCTOBER 16, 2022 – (Cont.) During the early morning flight, I did three things to prepare for my meeting: 1. Read The Art of the Deal; 2. Ordered two whiskey sours; and 3. While consuming the whiskey sours, reflected on instructive experiences representing my most challenging clients over the years, especially the one who was …
OCTOBER 15, 2022 – (Cont.) “What’s your rate and retainer?” “Nine ninety-five an hour plus expenses. I’ll need 250,000 to get started.” “Two fifty?” asked Snipperskapper, his voice dropping off. “That’s pretty rich.” “So is your boss,” I said. “Or at least that’s what he’d have us believe.” “I’m not sure 250’s gonna work.” “Sure …
OCTOBER 14, 2022 – Ever since I was a young kid, I’ve lived half my waking hours in imagined reality, as oxymoronic as that might seem. Today, I easily stepped into my “pretend world.” The prompt was pundit chatter over yesterday’s screening of The Godfather—and the Don’s rambling, unedited, 14-page rant-critique of the show. In …
OCTOBER 13, 2022 – Today I’d intended to watch the January 6 House Select Committee hearing in its entirety. Before Liz Cheney had completed her opening statement, however, I decided that to stay glued to the TV would be akin to watching The Godfather for the umpteenth time, except with key scenes screened in slow …
(Cont.) I then took a deep breath and realized my best next step was to call one of my closest friends, Ravi Balasubrahmanyan—who just happens to be . . . a physician of the highest rank of intelligence and experience. Back in December when I’d described to Ravi my reasons for a recent (unsatisfactory) visit …
OCTOBER 11, 2022 – (Cont.) The sting was slight, but the sharp tip of the branch—green with microbes—broke the skin on the side of my right ring finger. Immediately, I recalled my BMT doc’s warning: “If you scratch yourself on some pine needles, [really bad stuff will ensue].” I gulped: A pine branch partially buried …
OCTOBER 10, 2022 – I don’t wish to tempt fate, so in telling the story about to be told—Grizzly Adams must wait another couple of days (See yesterday’s post)—I don’t want to appear dismissive of the doctor’s dire warning. At the same time, however, my reaction to yesterday’s “incident” underscores a hypochondriac’s susceptibility to medical …
OCTOBER 9, 2022 – As human knowledge and experience advance, so does our perspective grow sharper via ever more powerful microscopic and and telescopic lenses. As I walk in the great outdoors, my eyes unaided by lenses other than what nature has thus far fashioned for our species (and corrected by eyewear), I wonder what …
OCTOBER 8, 2022 – This morning I drove to the Red Cabin, hoping I’d catch the fall foliage at its peak. The scenery along the way confirmed I had. A thousand times I wanted to stop to take a picture—or two or 10—but if I did so once, I’d likely do so repeatedly and wouldn’t …
OCTOBER 7, 2022 – Today while hiking through our local Garden of Eden, I read some of the tags that the park service had nailed to a number of big, beautiful trees. Each tag identified the species, its characteristics, and in almost every case, what the tree was “good for . . .” These descriptions …
OCTOBER 6, 2022 – Lately, several people have recommended that I read The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben. These recommendations supplement the many earlier endorsements I’d received over the years from friends. In fact, I’ve read the book, and found it important enough to add to my “re-read” stack. If you haven’t read …
OCTOBER 5, 2022 – As followers of this blog know, I was once a compulsive runner. Or more precisely, I was a compulsive “run away,” who, to escape self-doubt, lived to eat, read (about training), and run. Every day of law school, I ran a loop along both sides of the Mississippi River from the …
OCTOBER 4, 2022 – This year I’ve developed heightened appreciation for what others do for a living—particularly in medical care and research. This morning my sharpened gratitude extended to the concrete prep work unfolding in front and back of our house. Precision in word-smithing (my principal vocational activity) is one thing, but try operating with …
OCTOBER 3, 2022 – Today marks six weeks from “chemo-blast-off.” To celebrate, I took a long walk in nearby Como Park. As I admired the many trees that have become my friends, I contemplated the generations of park visitors who’ve also laid eyes on those oak, pine, maple, locust, chestnut, and cottonwood (to name a …
OCTOBER 2, 2022 – What a turnaround—so to speak—a single rotation of the earth can make. Today, the morning sun said to me, “Smile, you fool, and I’ll smile with you!” So I did, and Helios kept his word. Feeling much better physically—and therefore, mentally—I took advantage of the fine weather and went for a …
OCTOBER 1, 2022 – When people asked me how I was doing today, I replied honestly—“Not great.” My malaise wasn’t helped when yesterday I reviewed materials pertaining to my recent stem cell transplant for treatment of multiple myeloma. This (cursory) review was part of my belated effort to organize the reams of medical paperwork that …
SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 – We’re well into football season. What’s notable is that I’m mentioning it: I’ve never been a football fan. For a short time last season, I developed an appreciation for the sport, thanks to our son Cory, who is not merely a fan but a close follower of all details regarding the …
SEPTEMBER 29, 2022 – No, this isn’t much about the meteorological calamity that recently befell parts of Florida. What the hurricane reveals to me, however, is how much there is to know about . . . everything, and how little I’ll ever know about anything. I remember the feeling—shared by most book browsers—of entering a …
SEPTEMBER 28, 2022 – When I was a kid, I was inspired by “great people” whose reputations had withstood the test of time. As I dreamed about my future, I wanted to strive for “greatness” in the way that George Washington or Abraham Lincoln had achieved that status. Yet, I sensed that “greatness” transcended the …
SEPTEMBER 27, 2022 – Lately I’ve been working on the 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle (a physical map of North America) that our daughter-in-law, Mylène, gave me innocently a year ago—knowing my interest in maps. My unanticipated diagnosis and treatment provided ample opportunity to tackle the puzzle. Not until I’d emerged from the transplant process, however, did …
SEPTEMBER 26, 2022 – You’re living a life you never imagined when you look forward to your appointment with the oncologist. Such an appointment was a highlight of my day. My meeting was the good doctor’s last of his day and lasted nearly 90 minutes. I hadn’t seen him since last July—before “boot camp” (my …
SEPTEMBER 25, 2022 – Yesterday’s crankiness was overcome by my friends. To these accidental therapists I am especially grateful. As noted in yesterday’s post, I’d taken a break from the Ken Burns documentary, The U.S. and the Holocaust. The “pause” button, however, didn’t extinguish my angst. I experienced continuing dread by the very fact that …