Category Archives: Idle Ruminations

It doesn’t have to make sense (corporate edition)

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Jim

My experience in the Navy was good preparation for a career in a giant corporation. That’s because both government and corporate bureaucracies do well-intentioned things that turn out to be idiotic and comical. The Dilbert comic strip has a big … Continue reading →

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Eating my way through Chicago

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Jim

I just returned from a visit to my hometown of Chicago. I get back to Chicago about once a year to reconnect with friends and relations and, on this trip, spend Thanksgiving with my kids. My secondary agenda, however, is … Continue reading →

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A lawn grows in the desert

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Jim

I bought a rain gauge for my garden a month ago and finally got enough rain to measure: almost two-tenths of an inch. That’s a big deal because Albuquerque averages only 9.4 inches of precipitation a year – compared to … Continue reading →

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God save the Queen (and her grandkids, too)

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Jim

At the risk of visualizing the Founding Fathers rotating in their hallowed graves, I’ve been enjoying the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth. Just as everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, even the most patriotic Americans can get sentimental when … Continue reading →

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Thank you for your service

Posted on May 27, 2012 by Jim

Being a veteran is trendy in New Mexico. When I wear my U.S. Navy Retired ballcap, people walk up to me on the street and thank me for my service. That surprises me every time because veterans of my generation … Continue reading →

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A walk on the handicapped side

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Jim

The Boomer generation is destined to be the handicapped parking generation. I got my handicapped parking pass sooner than expected. Happily, it’s temporary. The blue placard with the wheelchair logo is the result of my first snowshoe hike in the … Continue reading →

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So now I’m an author

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Jim

I’ve been writing for money since I was 19 but had not planned on writing a book. Writing is my favorite activity and I have been incredibly privileged to make it my career. But I never aspired to write the … Continue reading →

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Snow? No, thanks

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Jim

I don’t like snow. Really, I don’t. That realization came to me on a snowshoe hike in the mountains in the light of the full moon. I thought: “This would be more fun without all this effing snow.” (And that … Continue reading →

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I’m dreaming of a Black Friday

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Jim

It’s Black Friday and I have not set foot in a single store. My objective is to avoid shopping malls and big-box chains until 2012. Christmas shopping is intended to get everyone into the holiday spirit. Not me. My shopping … Continue reading →

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Don’t rain on my fiesta

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Jim

I never fully appreciated rain until I moved to New Mexico. Needless to say, it’s dry here in the semi-desert. How dry is it? (rimshot) It’s so dry that the weather forecasters measure precipitation in hundredths of an inch. So … Continue reading →

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