• 41

    The quiet birthday extravaganza

    November 23, 2014 / No Comments

    So today, I am 41. Or, as I’ve taken to calling it, 40-something.

    Alas, 41 isn’t really one of those landmark moments in life. There’s no decade change. You don’t get any special perks for reaching it. And hey, it’s a whole year before 42. But, I’m still quite joyful about the achievement. I have somehow managed to live for more than four decades. Huzzah!

    Since this natal day is a minor one, I have chosen to celebrate it in a quiet fashion. Cake, cards, presents… check. Dinner out and possibly a movie, check check. Most importantly, I get to spend the day with M, and that is always a joy.

    Not just one day, either. We’re on vacation this week. All week. Together! (I’m using an exclamation mark here because I’m really excited.).

    With such opposing schedules, our marriage pretty much exists in two-hour bursts of daily companionship followed by one evening, one day and a morning of blessed weekendness. This week, however, we have seven full days of “us.” We even get to share the same bed. At the same time! (Some couples just don’t know how good they have it.)

    My heartfelt thanks go out to everyone who took the time to send cards, gifts, tweets, emails, Facebook posts and other birthday messages. I am utterly grateful to be so liked… so loved… and so old.

    (Photo by Vladvvm)

  • birthday cake

    “A happy birthday is measured not in the amount of gifts one gets, but in the amount one is loved.” ―Todd Stocker

    November 21, 2014 / No Comments

    With my birthday, Yule and Christmas coming up, I’ve been receiving emails and messages asking me what I want. I am quite fortunate; my needs are few. So, as always, I request that you consider becoming an organ donor.

    If you who have already checked that box at the DMV, thank you so very much. Someday, hopefully very far in the future, you will become a hero. In that case, a card would be lovely. My address is available here (just click on the contact info link).

    And for the generous souls who prefer to send presents, I have created a wish list. It reveals far more about me than any essay I could ever pen.

    (Photo by Zsuzsanna Kilian.)

  • blue hourglass

    My take on the elections

    November 5, 2014 / No Comments

    Ten years ago, the results of an election left me both furious and depressed. A man I deeply admired was kind enough to provide some much-needed perspective. Now that I’m older, and a bit wiser, I aim to follow in his stead.

    So, if you are happy about yesterday’s election, do not to gloat. Congratulations, you won; hopefully the people you empowered will serve the public’s interests.

    And if you’re angry about the results, I urge you to handle defeat with grace. Then, get to work. You have two years to share your message and inspire change.

  • Ballot box

    You are powerful

    November 2, 2014 / No Comments

    You are powerful.
    Your words have weight
    and your actions have consequences.

    These powers are often ignored
    by those with the financial wherewithal
    to purchase signs and mailers and TV commercials.

    Yet all the dark money
    and advertised backstabbing
    mean little if you ignore their skewed messages.

    You can abstain from the process
    and remain silently pessimistic.
    Millions will do so, much to their own detriment.

    Or, you can fulfill your duty
    as a patriotic and responsible citizen
    and take a stand for what you believe is right.

    The end result may still disappoint.
    Fears often overwhelm hope
    when the fate of an unknown future is on the line.

    But you are powerful.
    On Tuesday, you will cast a vote,
    and the political world will shift at your might.

    (Poem by Jade Walker. Photo by Wendell Franks)

  • dutch apple pie

    Baking: A labor of love

    October 29, 2014 / No Comments

    Let’s give it up for the bakers.

    In the past, they created a wide variety of delectable desserts, all without the luxury of modern appliances. Often these treats would take days to complete — and only minutes to devour. It reminds me of how an author spends months or years writing a book and then fans read it in just a few days and immediately begin clamoring for more.

    If you’ve ever made a loaf of bread, a batch of cinnamon rolls or a fruit pie from scratch, you know that baking is a labor of love. Using the right tools, these treats are fairly simple to create. Yet even with all of our technological conveniences, such desserts still take time. For example, on Saturday night, I baked a dutch apple pie. It took:

  • 30 minutes waiting for the butter and shortening to chill
  • 10 minutes to combine the crust ingredients
  • 1 hour to chill the dough
  • 10 minutes to roll the dough and fit it into a pie plate
  • 30 minutes to freeze the dough
  • 30 minutes to prebake the dough (during which time I peeled/quartered/cored/cooked the apples and sauce)
  • 5 minutes to combine the crumb ingredients
  • 5 minutes to build the pie
  • 10 minutes to bake the pie
  • 1 hour to cool

    • That’s right. More than four hours from start to finish. The end result was marvelous so it was clearly time well spent. But when it came time to eat, I made sure to thoroughly relish every bite.

    (Photo by Marcus Weir.)