Life by Trial and Error | A writer\'s journey

Customer Disservice

This is likely become a tirade. I’ll do my best to avoid it, to keep the discourse meaningful, but I suspect that it will inevitably erode into nothing but sound and fury.

In recent months, I’ve had a few highly disturbing encounters with corporate customer service representatives. Now I’m not generally a complaining customer. I don’t send …[MORE]

If I have any regular readers (is there anybody out there?), you may have noticed that I haven’t posted anything for a few days. I have an excellent excuse: I’ve been recovering from a really bad cold for the last week. The experience offered some profound insights.

Top Ten Things You Discover—or Rediscover—While Sick with a …[MORE]

Over-site

I just needed cat food.

I needed prescription cat food for an ailing cat, so I could only get it at the vet’s office. And it was Sunday. I knew my vet kept office hours on Sunday, but only for a very short window of time. My mind kept coming up with “two” and “four”, but …[MORE]

20:20

Recently I performed my first pecha kucha presentation.

I discovered the pecha kucha format a couple of months ago. It’s a relatively new style of PowerPoint presentation with a simple but rigid structure: 1) it must contain exactly 20 slides; 2) the slides must contain only images, no words; 3) the presentation must run in automated …[MORE]

Gratitude

A random list of things I am thankful for:

My family of friends that is warm and supportive, time-tested and true
My peaceful, quiet, happy home
The blessing of living in a land of plenty
That I am able-bodied and enjoy good health
The furry beings that fill my home and my heart
The long stretch of beautiful weather we’ve enjoyed this fall
The psychological comfort and …[MORE]

The Devine Message

A church along one of my frequent routes has a message board outside, one of those with movable letters. Such boards are often used to quote scripture, announce church events or offer up pithy messages. The church I often pass is fond of the pithy message. Recently, I saw them offer tips on communicating with …[MORE]

“Mail’s In”

I am locked in an eternal struggle with paper. I trash it, shred it, file it, use it, reuse it, recycle it, and constantly strive to reduce it in my life. My efforts are in vain: it just keeps coming in the door. I haven’t given up yet, but I have begun to despair.

Recently, while …[MORE]

The Games People Play

I recently lost track of my favorite online interactive game. I am in mourning.

I’ve never been very interested in games. I like puzzles—jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, sudoku puzzles, whatever—but I’ve never cared for board games, card games or other such pastimes.

When I [finally] got on Facebook, I began to receive “gifts” from a couple of …[MORE]

Furry Folk

I’m a pet lover. There have only been brief interludes of petlessness in my life. Most of my pets have been cats, because they are best suited to my lifestyle and personality, but I also love dogs. Currently, my best furry friend and constant companion is a golden-retriever/chow-mix bitch named Freeway. She has a sweet …[MORE]

There's the Nib

Today I threw away a pen. It was a somber event.

My act was deliberate and not without consideration. I had just completed writing four pages longhand with said pen, and it had become clear that the pen was reaching the last of its useful life. The ink flow, which had been smooth, clear and even, began …[MORE]

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