Poet Reporter
A different kind of reporting, through the eyes of a poet.
Song and Dance and Candy
Holidays give us the chance to step outside our normal lives. Our daily routine is gone, replaced by a balancing act of relatives, chaos, food, messes, and sometimes a few friends showing up in the mix. In an offhand way, this gathering of personalities is like one big Easter basket of flavors and textures, all crammed into one place.
Little Reminders
Don’t stop me if you’ve heard this one; it bears repeating. And I’m definitely repeating it: I posted it on my old blog back in 2014 after hearing it somewhere around 2009. I still don’t know the origins of this story, but it’s one that sticks with you. Ready? Here we go:
Phoning It In
I recently had a disastrous run-in with tech support, and it reminded me of a time when I was waiting tables and the phrase “phoning it in” was popular. As opposed to “dial it in” which has the opposite effect, phoning it in is all about a lack of focus, about doing the minimum and avoiding the real work.
The Easier Path
For every amazing thing you do, think, or imagine, there are countless negative voices that you need to tune out.
It’s About Time
I’m thinking of the line from Our Town where main character Emily says, “Does anyone ever realize life while they live it? Every, every minute?”
Second-Grade Me
The past can sometimes feel like it’s just a timeline with stories stuck to it at random places. Some of the stories are exact; others are embellished. Personally, I like to slide back and forth on my memory timeline to pick up things I thought I’d lost…
Cute Shoes
My Minnesota friends will know what I’m talking about when I say Thursdays on First.
This is a street fair every Thursday in the summer months in Rochester. They close down First Street to downtown traffic and the businesses set up tents outside their stores to sell their wares. Once a week in the summer, it’s a whole day of music and artists and food, and it still goes on today.
Late Night After Work Club
A short story, almost:
Below are the Minutes of our restaurant workers’ Late Night After Work Club, written on napkins at Zacherl’s Pub.
Partial Minutes from last week’s Late Night After Work Club:
· It is decided that we need to steal a statue and hold it for ransom because that’s funny.
For Love or Money
Well, that was unexpected. For all of you outside of Pennsylvania, I should explain that I’m on the Pittsburgh side of our state, Philadelphia being on the other side. So it’s not my team that went to the Super Bowl. But, along with many of you, I did not see that coming. And now with Valentine’s Day…
The Aftermath of Groundhog Day
Yesterday was Groundhog Day, and we’ve got six more weeks of winter coming. I’m in the minority on this, but I’m glad that winter’s sticking around.
Don’t get me wrong; I don’t like being cold. (Who wants to be cold??) But Spring in Pennsylvania means a lot of mud, and
Where Credit is Due
Well, TV commercials have replaced their images of warm, gooey cookies with talk of diets, and we’re back to that morning commute behind the school buses. The holidays, sadly, happily, mercifully, are over.
Set Aside for Us
It’s a holiday week! As usual, there’s so much to do. But, also as usual, our regular schedules get turned on their heads.
