Musings

I had a huge fight with my younger brother a few years ago. He was seventeen and about to graduate high school. He was in that place that seventeen year olds often are, where he couldn’t wait to get out of our parents’ house and into the world he was going to conquer, never looking back at our hometown. The

Today I bring you what I’m sure will only be the first post talking about weather. There are countless things about it that piss me off and set me into a ranting mood. We’ll begin with a few of the simple ones. Let’s start with meteorologists. I don’t know what their job truly entails. There is the suffix –ologist at the

I watched a documentary about technology the other night. One scene featured a group of people talking about how when they were kids their teachers hugged them. They talked a bit about how that doesn’t really happen in schools much anymore. That led them to talk about how they, as adults, don’t really hug people…

When I was younger I used to think that I would just how what to do things when I was an adult. I saw the older people in my life as people who knew what they were doing. I guess I thought I would just know what to do too. Then as I got older I assumed that there would be tools to acquire the necessary skills. They tried…

1)     Drink every time someone says some variation of “I’m not a pastry chef,” or complains about having to make dessert. 2)     Drink when an eliminated contestant talks about not having had the opportunity to “cook their food.” 3)     Drink every time someone in the bottom says “I stand behind my dish.” Chug if that person gets

I understand the purpose of idioms are to be folksy and cute and sometimes to teach a lesson. Growing up I heard my fair share of idioms that my relatives seemed too pull out of the air. Most of these made as

I think that many people would agree with me when I say that there are too many people on the planet. I think some would also agree when I say that an alarming number of those people are morons. So I have a…

I don’t particularly care for public restrooms. I think that they are perfectly convenient, even necessary, devices. That doesn’t mean I have to like them. Every time I enter one I say a quick prayer of thanks that I am a man and don’t have to sit on a public toilet every time I enter the wretched places. This is especially…

1) Refer to nonmusicians as “civilians.” Sorry but we do. It is amazing the culture that can develop in certain professions, and music is no…

One problem with friendships is the potential for one’s friends to date people that one doesn’t like, either outright or simply as a partner for said friend. One good friend of mind started dating a guy, who we’ll call Hank, a couple years ago. I have known my friend for much longer, and we’ve been through quite a bit…

In June of 2015 I traveled to Europe on a short tour with a choir I used to perform with. It was a life changing trip. We participated in a large choral festival, which concluded with a performance where I got to sing a solo line during one song at the Vatican. At the conclusion of the festival we set off to tour a few

I got these books a couple months ago, 642 Things to Write About and 712 More Things to Write About. I've decided to make our way through the books when I get stuck. I figured they might lead to some interesting…

I did something the other day that I hadn't done in years; I used a jump rope. I found a nice little workout to do on days where I don't have a whole lot of time. It involves two different weight exercises with 45…

I achieved something beautiful today. I got my inbox down to zero. Before anyone throws me a parade I should mention that this is mainly due to a great deal of moving things around. I have a "Deal with Me" folder and a "Read Me" folder and several other folders that the…

There are certain things that I don’t understand about church life, even though I worked at a church for a while. I mean, as an atheist I didn’t pay a whole lot of attention to the details. As such I know the gist of many things, but not much more than that. The Liturgical Calendar is one of those things. Before I worked…

1) Leave the empty toilet paper roll on the dispenser until the next use. No one will yell at you. Except perhaps future you. 2) Sleep in the middle of the bed….

As I look at age thirty rapidly receding in the rearview mirror, I feel a need to actually get my shit together. It’s like the feeling many of us feel around the New Year, but on crack. To that end I am making a conscious effort to try to get healthier. It’s a bitch. I’m tackling it on three fronts; drinking more water, eating healthier…

My favorite yoga pose is called upward teacup. It's where you sit at a table, a cup of hot tea in your hands. Just hold the cup in front of your mouth. Both hands must be on the cup. Finger contact can vary depending on the

We humans tend to like familiarity. That’s why it can be so difficult to get people to change their minds, even about stupid little things like what brand of toothpaste they use. We tend to like our routines, but they can wear us down over time, which is why we take vacations. Travel often makes us appreciate those…

Odds are that you are reading this after news of some sort of mass shooting. The fact that I can write that sentence, and that it can be applicable at almost any time in America is a sad reality. I, like many of us, have become kind of numb to that news. I see the headline and I move on, because to dwell on it yet again is…