The room was glowing red. Red balloons were hanging from ribbons from the ceiling. And there were red valentines. From back to front. From left to right, ribbons and balloons and valentines hung over the tables, dangling over the heads of the seated diners. “One for dinner?” a waitress asked. “Two,” I said. “My wife […]
Monthly Archives: January 2011
Coffee Grounds
Wed, 26 Jan 2011, 08:55 PM (-06:00)
The man walked up to the counter at the end of the long, warmly lit room. A couple was sitting in some overstuffed chairs in the corner, but otherwise the place was empty. The clerks looked up as he approached. They had been talking and stopped as he got near. He smiled, but they just looked […]
The Trade
Tue, 25 Jan 2011, 09:34 PM (-06:00)
He came into the restaurant and sat down at the bar and set seven boxes on the counter—seven boxes of pizza. The restaurant was full, and the wait staff were busy, but when he set those boxes down they all turned their heads and smiled. A tall guy behind the counter seemed to be in […]
What Was I Thinking?
Mon, 24 Jan 2011, 10:58 PM (-06:00)
“It’s not going anywhere,” he said as he pulled hard on the cord and tied one last knot. The desk came in parts, and I figured they’d all fit in the back of my little station wagon, but I figured wrong. The guard outside the store offered to help me tie it onto my car […]
Striking Out
Sun, 16 Jan 2011, 07:50 PM (-06:00)
He ate an egg salad sandwich for lunch—his favorite. So the day was going well. He decided to drive into town to get a couple books from the university library. He turned right out of the parking lot. The highway into town was just a couple blocks away … um, except that it was actually […]
The Beauty of It
Sat, 15 Jan 2011, 08:39 AM (-06:00)
The beauty of [that star] smote his heart as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. So says xkcd [here] quoting Tolkien describing Sam looking out on Mordor in The Return of the King. I don’t remember it, but I should. I need to contemplate on this a bit and go […]
Gabby
Wed, 12 Jan 2011, 10:49 PM (-06:00)
“Gabby opened her eyes for the first time.” hat tip: [TPM]
A Long Day’s End
Sun, 2 Jan 2011, 10:54 AM (-06:00)
It’s 5:55 pm, New Year’s Day, just before closing time. Lane 1 Janie’s face periodically twitches as she scans the merchandise. She isn’t moving particularly fast, and then the phone next to her register rings. She picks up the receiver while she totals up the bill. “Yes ma’am. We close at 6:00,” she says and […]
New Year’s Day Stepping Out For Tacos
Sat, 1 Jan 2011, 10:04 AM (-06:00)
The sunshine is slanting down from the blue eastern sky. The thriving kale is glowing greenly in the light, and the lettuce and spinach and radishes are peeping up above the soil. The dog is barking and carrying his blue dog toy to and fro. And now it’s his magenta monkey. And now he’s barking […]