Blog
Asking questions can lead you to new places. Writing helps bring you to answers. And more questions.
Here, I’ve collected writings on a number of topics. Sometimes they’ve been published elsewhere, and other times they’re just for this blog.
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Last night I superglued my thumb and forefinger together. Not on purpose. I was attempting to repair a ceramic spoon rest that my jackass cat, Herman, jumped from one counter he’s not supposed to be on to another counter, which he’s also not supposed to be on. A miscalculation on his part shot the spoon…
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– Ten days before teaching assistant workshop began, my wife and I got on a plane for Beijing. Reading books and workshop materials, and sleeping, occupied me over the thirteen-hour flight. Anxious about teaching, I studied the sheets closely, making notes. In China, we visited the Lama Temple, where visitors lit incense, despite the stifling…
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Originally posted on it's all dead: I wasn’t into Brand New before it was cool. But I did love the Long Island emo rockers before The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me landed on November 20, 2006. In fact, I was waiting for it. By that time, I knew what to expect—straightforward mid-aughts rock…
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A wedding song
“When are you going to write a song about me?” Stephanie asked me this question often when we first started dating. And rightly so. I’d written songs about girls before—and songs about books and songs about songs—so it made sense I would write one about the woman I’d one day marry. But I stopped writing…
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new rules for office fridge use
1. From: Management <Management@RAMJACcorp.com> Date: Friday, June 20, 2015 12:27 PM To: staff <office@RAMJACcorp.com> Subject: Fridge use issues (please read) Everyone, Management is setting a new rule for office fridge use. We really hate to do this, but recent events have tied our hand/s. The process started when Larry brought to our attention that…
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on-timer in progress
Recently I realized that I have a problem, I admitted it, and I’ve been working to change. Hi, my name is James, and I’m a late-oholic. I’m working on it for two reasons. First, being on time is something you learn in Adulting 101. Also first, I got married, and punctuality is very important to…
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June 6, 2015
– Nearly one year of rapid-fire planning, scrounging, pulling together every little bit like building sandcastles, and when we moved to the next tower, the tide took away the last. Torture, some might call it. Just chaos, I’d reply. But that’d be forgetting. Because just for a moment as she walked down the aisle, the…
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Loose ends in Indy
– I’ve started listing things—restaurants, breweries, events. They’re places I’ve been itching to try for some time. They’re places I’ve been to countless times. With the impending Minnesota move fast approaching, I want to drink it all in, savor Indianapolis. Here is a list, in no conscious order, of places I want to try: St.…
James Figy 