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The Metal Guy

 Found out earlier this week that a guy I went to junior high school with has died by name of Jon. He was quite a character, one that I think few truly knew and/or appreciated. Going back quite a few years now, to the late 1980s. It was a different world then... We were still in The Cold War, fearing our Russian neighbors and in the midst of the Iran-Contra Affair. Marcos and his wife Imelda (owner of thousands of pairs of shoes) would be ousted from the Philippians. Regan was in his second term, Gorbachev was in Russia (later to be named one of the Three Corpses). The space shuttle Challenger would explode in midair seconds after liftoff. Top Gun would be the highest grossing box office movie behind Crocodile Dundee, the golden age of sit coms / NBC would boast the showmanship of The Cosby Show, The Golden Girls and Cheers and Night Court, as would ABC with their classic Miami Vice (I tried watching that show even at that tender age and didn't get it, but the fashions were ok I gu...
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Bucket and Earl

 A buddy of mine had posted something rather shocking the other day.  It was quite simple, it said "BRB getting married".  This shocked me and others, since when was he attached to any woman at all let alone tying the knot with someone?  I sent him a PM saying "Are you kidding?"  He said "No, I really am".  After some time had progressed and he had a few minutes, he told me the story.  He told me part of the story when we left on a cabin in the woods weekend a few years ago.  He told me the story of this woman, that they had dated for four years, ending when she moved away to another state for a job.  He said she was the love of his life, he moved on as he had no choice in the matter but to do so.  In the fall of 2023, said woman moved to Cincinnati for another job, then apparently they reconnected, then they decided they were going to get married after all.  And she insisted that they do it quickly, so batta boom, batta bing, they ...
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Theater

  I was sitting on the steps of the choir room’s bleachers with a script and a notebook in my hand writing away.   When I am alone, people would usually see me doing this because freestyle writing is what makes me most happy, so that’s not a huge surprise.   For all they knew I was writing out grocery lists, a string of errands to run, my next great manifesto or taking notes on others before me.   What would surprise others, if they looked a bit more closely, is that I was shaking.   My whole body was, it was very subtle, only a highly trained individual would be able to see it.   I was semi curled up like a boiled shrimp, my head lower than it usually would be, and my body was closing itself up.   Why?   Because I was afraid, borderline terrified, and trying not to show it.   Then again, this is how I usually am as I white knuckle myself through most days.   This particular day, however, was more challenging than most to my already frag...
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Martin F Lance Groundhog's Day

 His name was not this, but that was his moniker in many forms.  His name was Malcom Ryder.  One of the more profound individuals who ever made an impression in our city, as well as in my life story.  He was a complicated person, as was our relationship, but that is usually the case with many.   It was the late 90s and I had returned to my fair city having freshly graduated from college and about to start my official adult life, a 90s hipster post grunge child.  I entered Corporate America and got my first real job, as I would expect anyone in the same position to acquire.  What one does not anticipate when one is adapting to this change is the isolation and loneliness, yet coming into your own during the first year as one is adapting to the change of life going from a kid / full time student to that of being a working adult.  Many days are like the move Groundhog's Day, but one must not complain about it as this is, as one would find out, ho...
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The Distinguished Alumnae Award and the Sounds of Silence

    I got a notice in the mail (either snail mail or email, I forget which now) from my high school recently.  I usually give all materials, written or electronic, a quick glance here and there.  Besides the items that are obviously junk mail or spam, I usually pitch them out.  When I get one from my high school, I usually take it upstairs to my apartment and then give it a longer looksee.  Typically these small books are about 20 pages long, filled with updates of the goings on of those currently attending my high school.  I follow a few of them on Facebook and Instagram, maybe a few other miscellaneous social networks whose fire died down a few years ago.  Over dinner I might give a few things a longer read if they peak my interest.  This one particular one was of note because a gal who I went to high school with was being awarded the Distinguished Alumnae Award.  She was in my class as a matter ...
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Wonder Woman 1984 review

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The COVID virus caused a change in the the world in ways we were not prepared for in 2020.  This was felt all across the world in so many ways as we had to cope with the new normal.  Travel was restricted, we could not gather in groups of more than 10, and we had to wear masks at all times.  We were socially distancing ourselves to prevent the spread of the dreaded virus.  This of course, applied to many things we usually take for granted.  We were no longer allowed to gather in any public places to partake in activities we would usually with mass crowds (professional sports events, restaurants, attending church, etc.) without temperature recordings, excessively washing hands, and disinfecting everything in sight.  I think that since the advent of contact lens solution and hand sanitizer the oceans of the world have gone down about two feet since, but that's another story.  One of the things, of course, that took its toll on business and the entertainm...
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Life lessons from the cross country team

 Today I did a test run in my endless passion for teaching with another unique situation : I am becoming a driving instructor.  With a private company in my city, I am going to be riding in cars with high school kids as they are in their quest to obtain their first driver's license.  A rite of passage for all of us.  Today, with the owner of the company in tow to observe both me and the driver, we pulled into a high school and picked up a junior.  He was there to do his summer practice for his participation in cross country running.  He also said he participates in swimming as well as track, but due to the Corona Virus he was not able to do his swimming as planned.  I was very lucky, he was really a great driver and didn't seem nervous or unsure of things as he said he had driven quite a bit in the past.  I was pleased to see that this was the case over time as we coasted over country roads with waves as dips.  We also passed the westside mai...
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