The first thing you hear is screeching tires. Then you turn in the direction you think it’s coming and you hear breaking glass. Then everything spins and spins. The next thing you remember is waking up with tubes in your arm. And a jackhammer in your head. And blurred vision. Then you go to sleep. You eventually open your eyes to find your husband standing next to you. Behind him, your parents. They’re all smiling. They start talking to you, but…
The other night, I had a dream. I was driving to work when my car died right near the Charlotte Country Club. I’d passed the exclusive club hundreds of times, but never had a reason to go in. I’d given up golf years before. But here I was in need of help, and walking up the gloriously manicured drive toward the security booth was my only option. It was raining. And cold. And I forgot to charge my phone the…
I wrote the following piece as an extension of this tweet. It was a perfect late afternoon in early summer. Hope Baker was tending to a bed of yellow roses in the front of her house. In a few moments, her husband would be home and she had a special dinner planned – complete with a centerpiece of fresh cut flowers. Their daughter Michelle was on her way to Arizona for a job interview, and so they had the house all…
It starts when Gaza lobs a garbage can filled with dynamite into Israel, and Israel responds with laser-guided missiles. Iraq sympathizes with the plight of the Palestinians and allows Iran to march its army right through to Syria where they attack Israel from the east, while Egypt attacks from the south. The US and England join an alliance with Turkey to head off Iran and Syria from the north. Meanwhile, oil-starved China seizes an opportunity for energy independence, buys all…
Preface: Next week I am due to have sestoplasty surgery for the third time in 30 years. The last time I considered it was in 2001. That’s when I wrote this (fictional) story. This morning I found it in my archives and cleaned it up a bit to share here. *** PART ONE “Well Jim, it looks like you’re going to need surgery.” It wasn’t what I wanted to hear. I leaned back. “Not what you wanted to hear, huh?” The doctor…
I looked at my watch. Ken looked at his. It was still too early, so we continued to hole up at Mike’s Tavern off Route 9 – a dark den with a cigarette machine, a juke box, and a television over the bar. The television was on. The bartender was watching a Mets game and chain smoking. “You know why I like baseball? Ken asked. “Because I don’t have to watch it on TV.” He took at swig from his…
