What dreams may come?

My favorite things are memories that wait for me to come to them, instead of chasing me through the night to whisper terrible truths when I tire and can’t outrun them. This has been a summer of quality memory building. The Triumph ride in California was a grand jaunt, even if I did come home … [more]

Something Wicked

I woke up happy this morning, secure on a sunny summer morning as a citizen of the world’s sole superpower, next to my sweet wife. We were thinking about a little shakedown trip on the bikes. Pretty Wife’s little BMW has new shoes, and my ankle and knee are still unsteady, but the prospect of … [more]

Extremely put out

Repeatedly called an “extremist” by Democrats during the 1964 Presidential campaign, Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) felt the need to channel Marcus Tullius Cicero and remind America, during his acceptance speech as the Republican nominee, that “extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice;” also that “moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” … [more]

Unexpected consequences

There’s an old story about Chinese luck. It’s probably B.S., which is why it belongs in this blog… An aged farmer’s stallion kicked down his stall and ran off. The farmer’s neighbors commiserated. “Ah, bad luck!,” they said, but Li Chien only shrugged. “Good luck, bad luck,” he said. “Who can tell?” Shaking their heads … [more]

Was it worth it for you?

Everyone worth knowing will break your heart. They won’t mean to. Anything worth having is worth keeping, and you will someday give up your dearest friends, your parents, compatriots… even your children. That’s gonna leave a mark. There’s only one way around it: cut yourself off right now. Don’t go to that party with the … [more]

Books! Brownies! Motorcycles!

So let’s see… ticking off a few of my favorite things: reading, writing, riding and BSing with soldiers. It’s a quadrafecta! Yeah, I made that word up — sadly, that’s another favorite vice. So here’s what we’re up to: South Sound BMW, one of the juiciest motorcycle dealerships in the PNW, holds its annual Vendor … [more]

Humbly submitted…

So there’s this book, and we’ve been tinkering with it, trying to get it all just so. Is it perfect? Of course not. Not by a long, arcing shot. There are typographical errors in the text. There are flaws in the formatting. The only thing that keeps either me or Pretty Publisher from spiking the … [more]

Rain Dog

Someone told me I should go take a walk. It was as good a suggestion as any, and the dog always appreciates it. The ides of March competed with my oversized puppy for Pissing All Over the Alley honors. Hunching along, mumbling at the grey rain, I wished I’d had the forethought to bring along … [more]