When I was a kidyounger I had a policy for pain inflicted on me by other persons. (Not malicious pain, just the kind that happens, y’know.) I’d forgive the first offense (I don’t mean small stuff, I mean real pain!) and allow the person (friend, lover) to hurt me again should they so “choose”. The […]

Quitting tobacco is not only hard, it’s obviously completely stupid. I used to be a smoker. A month later, I’m an ex-smoker. Oh, and also? I can’t concentrate, I’ve had to get a mouth guard to stop the insane constant headaches caused by teeth grinding (itself caused by the stress of quitting), I have all […]

I can be pretty rigid. Inflexible. Things get organized in my head and when people try to fuck with that I feel like they’re fucking with me. (Ridiculous, I know, and after a few deep breaths I see it too.) It’s not that I refuse to change — oh boy do I not — it’s […]

In law school, I learned about willful blindness, a concept I’ve found very useful (in speech/understanding of the world around me, not application!) since. But what I suffer from is not quite willful… It’s selective, involuntary blindness. Two examples. One. I want strawberry jam and I know (believe) we have some in the fridge. I […]

I feel myself getting older these days. It’s not related to my birthday and it’s not a bad thing in and of itself, but it requires quite an adaptation, which of course I’m not quite ready for (I can and do adapt but I resist first…). It’s a feeling I get when I realize a […]

I’m so tired (work here is never ever done and can never be, as weeds grow and houses don’t paint themselves) that frankly, I don’t want to work ever again. Not house-work! Money-bringing work. That could be a problem. I’m so tired I could nap for 12 hours in between nights. So exhausted I can’t […]

Right now I have a rash so bad I can hardly think. It annoys me to no end. It’s on my hand and on my neck. I get those once in a while (way too often for my taste). No way to see a doctor about it: it’s unpredictable. A few years ago I worked […]

Attention, attention! Bien que le Monde du vieux bandit demeure, j’ai maintenant un autre pignon sur Web! Suivez-y mes aventures à la campagne, les délices et délires d’une re-néorurale sur Les campagnonades! Le vieux bandit se coiffe d’un chapeau de paille, s’imprime un sourire sur le visage et vit de nouvelles aventures!

I’m on vacation. You wouldn’t know it from watching me but I am. I’m putting the finishing touches to that move idea we had, while Herb’s at the house installing our new mailbox. I’m taping the last few last-minute boxes, organizing mountains of stuff, looking for what’s next. One day, one evening, one night, and […]

My books are packed. All except a few I’ll read before the move and one that’s in a box set, a special edition of Émille Nelligan’s poems with a selection of art reproductions. It’s too big for any box of books, it needs to be packed separately. IF I pack it. Yes, if. Because I […]