Breakfast, pt Vietnam

I’m still only in Saigon… Every time I wake up, I think I’m gonna wake up back in the jungle… maybe with pants… maybe without. There’s a bowl of rice congee in front of me, with squid and peanuts. It looks and tastes like something a whale coughed up. But, I eat it anyway because […]

how to strangle your vulture

So, you bought a vulture… Congratulations! You have purchased a life-long friend, provided you only have ten or so years left to live. Check with your doctor. The novelty of owning a vulture far outweighs the bad-breath and crippling injuries you might suffer from their beaks or talons. And, they can be a godsend should […]

home is where you hang your head

I was born in the house my father built… Every board was nailed in with his own hand. Every roofing tile was lovingly stolen from the construction site next door. Every wire was stripped from an old appliance and spliced together with newspaper and maple syrup. My father, in a space of eleven short years, […]

The Ursine Rhythm of the Dancing Bear

A lot of things are somewhat endearing; but, a trained bear will dance his way into your heart… although they prefer to use their teeth and claws to get at that particular organ. There is something about watching a small, toothless malnourished bear shift from foot to foot like a teenager buying condoms at a […]

Love and Ann

Our love grew more each day. Each business day… then, at midnight Friday, our love dropped sharply off until midnight Sunday. I remember one Sunday morning waking up to find that she’d tattooed two eyes on my forehead. This drove my dog crazy because she didn’t know where to look when I talked to her. […]