My car, Sylvie, is a ripe eleven years old. For the most part, she is a sweet and docile southern lady, with just the right amount of spice to accelerate across three lanes of traffic should the need arise. I used to assume that car years translated to human years at approximately (C)(5.562) = (H).Continue reading “I Was a Teenage Honda”
Author Archives: Jen
Men in Suits, Scurrying
Today, the world witnessed the election of a new pope, Pope Francis. This may be one of the only times that A) newscasters speak Latin, B) conservatives and liberals alike wait so eagerly for a puff of smoke. I was in the car when the announcement took place, and, history-making aside, I couldn’t help delightingContinue reading “Men in Suits, Scurrying”
Spinach in the Teeth of Life
I wish I could have been around for the meeting when some aspiring superstore organizer decided that the matches should be shelved not with the kitchen supplies, not with the camping gear, not with the candles, not with the butane lighters or the grilling tools, but next to the toothpicks. “Hey, you know what? BothContinue reading “Spinach in the Teeth of Life”
What Happens to a Snark in Winter?
When you see how the snark shivers sad in the cold, It makes you forget all your woe. With his claws clenched in tight and his fur fluffing bold, the snark is a summertime foe. Evr’y feather a-quiver, each toe tucked away, he waits for the warmth to return. He’s no comeback to offer, noContinue reading “What Happens to a Snark in Winter?”
RE: Watch for Flying Forks
In honor of the day’s celebrations, I decided to uncork a finely aged post from the 2009 vintage. What a good year that was. Let it breathe; then savor it well, and Happy Valentines Day! Theater people are superstitious. New Years Day is full of “do”s and “don’t”s to get the year off to aContinue reading “RE: Watch for Flying Forks”
Poor Richard’s Bones
Today is a big day for Shakespeareans and other early modernists: Richard III dig: DNA confirms bones are king’s. The skeleton provides a great deal of tentative information about Richard’s physique (scoliosis, yes; withered arm, probably not) and also his death. His skeleton had suffered 10 injuries, including eight to the skull, at around theContinue reading “Poor Richard’s Bones”
Locavino: Grove Winery & Vineyards
Although I have explored many of the wineries in my native Yadkin Valley, the Haw River Valley, encompassing parts of Greensboro and Burlington, was largely unknown to me. On a misty Saturday morning in mid-January*, I found myself with time to spare on an eastward transit of Interstate 40. Having recently cleared a few spotsContinue reading “Locavino: Grove Winery & Vineyards”
Some Gums that I Used to Know
Dear Dentists of the World, Today, I went to the dentist’s office after a five-year absence. Needless to say, I was nervous. It did not help that I had forgotten how to get to the office and had to call for directions, arriving late for my appointment. When I walked in, I tried to relaxContinue reading “Some Gums that I Used to Know”
5, 6, 7 o’clock, 8 o’clock rock!
What gets me out of bed at 5 a.m.? Swing dancing on live local TV. It’s not often that you get a chance to do the Charleston, balboa, Lindy hop, and jitterbug with the other early birds, but when that proverbial worm appears, you have to snatch it up before it goes back to bed.Continue reading “5, 6, 7 o’clock, 8 o’clock rock!”
Ode on a Frisbee Disc, by Cleats
I bet you didn’t know that athletic shoes have a poetic streak, did you? Well, neither did I, until I recently purchased a new pair of cleats to replace the sad excuse for shoes that I had been wearing for three years. The old ones did not take abandonment well, as the following poem demonstrates.Continue reading “Ode on a Frisbee Disc, by Cleats”
Snark on the Side 