Wednesday, March 11, 2026

no boundaries



here is a solar-battery-heated swimming pool for sale in costco. in addition to rather good wines at pretty decent prices that all-time-winner rotisserie chicken and food samples to gladden a hungry shopper's heart.

i do like costco.

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

step ball change - jeanne ray (2002)



i read this in refuge from this.

as hoped, it is sweet decent well-paced and leaves me with a warm fuzzy feeling for family and other awkward people.

also, it is remarkably easy to read and witty to boot.

spring sun

early morning walk in the nippy air and then emerging gladly from the shade into the warm embrace of sunshine even though back east we are trained from childhood to avoid the sun.

there are few more ineffable pleasures.

Sunday, March 8, 2026

mediocre - ijeoma oluo (2020)


persuasive premise (it's on the cover).

strident tone. there's a chip on her shoulder.

pretty eloquent writing.

unfinishable. bah.


i am too old to read stuff that takes itself too seriously.

noble thoughts


one education superintendant's charge to new teachers, circa 2010 (?).

i am enchanted by his exhortation: teach students to win with class and to lose with dignity. ...teach them that there is a lot more to being a winner than the final game score. ...teach them to root for their team to win, not for the other team to lose. ...what to do when they lose.

good for him and his community, i think. for the country's sake, i hope they get their act back to around here.

consumer society



standing in the aisle

looking at the goods

wondering at the sellability

and amazed at the traffic

old tyme books

two lovely reminders of earlier phases in my life, courtesy of the clovis antique malls:

laura ingalls wilder's magical series (and nancy drew!) from before the dawn of awareness political correctness and feminist expectations.

i remember watching this and then reading the book in paltry paperback. here is the hard cover version!