Category Archives: Idle Ruminations

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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Three days on the stuttering planet

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Jim

I went to my annual stuttering convention last month. That’s right, a stuttering… convention:  the annual conference of the National Stuttering Association in Fort Worth, Texas. Stuttering was a problem when I was younger but is not a significant issue … Continue reading →

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Internet, Internet, make me a match

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Jim

I’ve met some nice women on the Internet. Really. And I’ve had a few laughs as well. When my wife of 40 years passed away I had few opportunities to meet people in a new city. So when I was … Continue reading →

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Getting in touch with my inner Boy Scout

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Jim

When I retired to New Mexico I resolved to do more outdoorsy stuff and I’m finally getting around to it. This is a novelty for me because I grew up in a Chicago neighborhood where we learned not to play … Continue reading →

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Getting there is NOT half the fun

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Jim

I spent the weekend in New York City at a board meeting, one of several trips I take each year for meetings and conferences. The meeting was productive, and I enjoyed re-visiting New York with a few spare hours to … Continue reading →

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Finally, a blog

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Jim

It’s about time. I’ve been following blogs for years. That’s how I keep in touch with my kids, including my daughter, Wendy, who parlayed a blog into a writing career. Writing, after all, is what I do. I spent my career … Continue reading →

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