The Yodler’s Lament

I took the 85 Tercel wagon — we call him the Yodler – to the shop yesterday morning. When I dropped of the key, I told the guy in the jumpsuit this: “It runs a little rough. Plus, we’re going on a road trip, so I’d like to know it’s running well before we hit the highway. The mechanic told me to stop back in around 11 to get their diagnosis.

At 11, I wandered over to the shop. “It’s got some problems,” said Julie, the straight talking woman behind the counter.”We’re working up an estimate right now. I’ll call you when we’re done.” I moaned and asked for the basics. She told me the radiator was leaking – I’d suspected that from the coolant on the road under the car, but I was hoping it was just bad hoses – and the drive belt was really worn. “There’s some other stuff too, we’ll call you when it’s all figured out.”


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Storage Space

A few days ago I met my friend J in Fremont. J is a fine ceramic artist – though when I met him he was doing this weird and very cool interactive stuff built out of all kinds of crazy materials – glass, lead shot, wood, electrical parts… I asked J how he prices his …


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Sound and fury

Last night on my new favorite PBS show, About Us, we watched 30 Frames a Second, a documentary about the WTO riots in Seattle. There wasn’t really much of a takeaway from that for me because, after all, I was here for it. Watching this film did bring it all back, it totally encapsulated the …


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Folklife 2005

We spent quite some time before the show joking about how the ukulele is the perfect instrument for those with neither shame nor talent. If you were there, here’s hoping we delivered on the promise of our humble four stringed friend. Pictures are here. We had a good time. If you want to join us …


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Grilled Perspective

I don’t know any soldiers, though I did have a roommate in college who was in the National Guard. We lost touch long ago, we had very little in common save our 1960s apartment, but I remember him fondly because in spite of our vast differences, he was a kind and considerate roommate. I remember …


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Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Do not, under any circumstances, go to Agua Verde on the first sunny night of the season. You will be last to be seated, you won’t get the agua fresca you want or maybe you will, you’ll be lectured for standing on the pier where the kayaks are. You will wonder if all of a …


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