In Ottawa they have the Parliament and the many-windowed, many towered building where they meet, sitting on the bluffs overlooking the river, the central tower’s patina dancing against the sky under a red and white maple leaf flapping in the breeze. And in Ottawa they have a chateau in the center of town. It overlooks […]
Yearly Archives: 2014
Race Weekend 10K
Sun, 8 Jun 2014, 09:47 AM (-06:00)
1. Getting There It was Race Weekend in Ottawa. The 40th. On Saturday, a 2k race and a 5k race and a 10K, too. On Sunday, a half-marathon and the full. We had come for the Lowertown Brewery 10K. Dad and Khadija had dropped us off at our hotel, and at the appointed hour (in […]
Leaving Quebec for Ontario
Sun, 8 Jun 2014, 12:21 AM (-06:00)
We left Quebec City with storm clouds gathering. Indeed, as we drove away, leaving behind us the Citadel and Chateau Frontenac and the cobblestone streets of Upper Town and Lower Town we thought we might stop and walk around a bit in the Plains of Abraham. But in those few minutes the weather turned, and the […]
Fly-Over
Mon, 2 Jun 2014, 09:11 PM (-06:00)
At 9:30pm, I stood up. “Ok, I’m going outside now. Six minutes to go.” The sky was mostly clear. It was dark — as dark as it can be with streetlights every half-block. We walked across the street and down a house or two and turned to the southwest. Trudy held her hand up to […]
Our Monterey Oak
Mon, 12 May 2014, 09:30 PM (-06:00)
We stood out front briefly. We had just returned home from a weekend away. Ben had fed the dogs and was leaving. He had a weary look on his face, too tired to talk for long. And he was distracted by an incoming call once or twice. As he stood there, he looked across the […]
More Oblivious
Fri, 2 May 2014, 09:13 PM (-06:00)
It was early evening. Everyone was gone. I was staring into my monitors clicking at the keyboard. The janitor came around the corner pushing his cart, emptying the garbage cans and dusting off our desks. I turned to look at him. “Hi Carlos,” I said. He mumbled which was unlike him. Usually he comes by […]
Snakes in the Grass
Sun, 27 Apr 2014, 09:56 AM (-06:00)
There are snakes in the grass, here. We know it. The dogs know it. The birds know it. 1. On the patio I came home the other day, arriving before the fair and industrious Trudy which fact consequently bestowed upon me the task of server of dinner kibble. This is usually the gist of the […]
All That Rain
Mon, 7 Apr 2014, 07:54 PM (-06:00)
From the street, you could see clouds in the west. From the highway, you could see dark skies. From the overpass, you could see towering thunderheads with dark black foundations and columns climbing into the sky where here and there there were breaks in the clouds that revealed vistas of billowing white and gold against a […]
Fighting with the Brushes
Sat, 5 Apr 2014, 09:47 PM (-06:00)
I just had some time to myself, with the fair and industrious Trudy out of town. Well… not really time to myself, as the dogs are here with me. But it’s late, and they’re off somewhere else being quiet (for once). So I thought I’d dabble a bit with a Cezanne-based scene. But my brush […]
Time Off on a Sunny Day
Tue, 1 Apr 2014, 10:02 PM (-06:00)
Subject: PTO. Yes, I really mean it this time. I mashed the button to send that one-liner. I stashed my laptop and zipped the bag shut. And then with a wave to the rest of the crew, I headed for the door. It was noon on Friday. The bugs were fixed. The issues resolved. I […]