Category Archives: Prose

It wasn’t meant to be funny

One way that I have kept myself entertained over the last several months is by listening to various of the Great Courses (produced by the euphemistically named “Learning Company”). Between the two public libraries to which I subscribe (Berkeley and … Continue reading

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Mother’s Day

Being a mother has nothing to do with biology and everything to do with attitude, love, and care for others. At sometimes it means a bit of self-sacrifice and other times teaching that self-reliance is important. Imparting the ability to … Continue reading

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Train Wreck in slow motion

Watching the daily numbers as COVID-19 spreads around the globe is like being on the sidelines as two huge bodies head for the inevitable crash. You know it is going to happen; being an ostrich and talking about “relaxing things … Continue reading

Posted in Prose | 1 Comment

For those in the US

If you are not in the US – you might not be aware of the US Census which was supposed to be conducted starting 1 April. In past years, this has involved a huge hiring effort and a massive door-to-door … Continue reading

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Alive, well, and bored

As are most of you, I am spending the majority of my time at home. If any of you think this is a short term state of affairs, you are sadly mistaken. The positive side of flattening out an epidemic … Continue reading

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Shelter in Place – 1

Do any of you remember that wonderful story that floated around the internet years ago about dog vs cat in their outlook in life? The one that presented a day in the life of – the dog – 0700 – … Continue reading

Posted in Medical, Prose | 2 Comments

Hair Length

There was, what I charitably will presume was a well meaning woman about a year ago who made a comment about my shorter hair making me look much younger. I blew it off at the time rather than get into … Continue reading

Posted in family, Prose | 8 Comments

Order and discipline

are key underpinnings of the military. Without them, the team doesn’t function. In high risk situations, people can die. And not the enemy, but your own. This is a rant. Skip it, if for some reason you think a president … Continue reading

Posted in Military, Prose | 12 Comments

There is a second side

Pat brought up a point in response to my post about friends around the world that I really think merits further thought. So many people have become dependent on social media for their relationships that we forget that social media … Continue reading

Posted in Computers & Software, Prose | 4 Comments

old school typos

long ago, and far away. Ok – more than 50 years and in the middle of the country. Does that sound better than saying….”once upon a time” or “in a galaxy far, far away” or any of the other expressions … Continue reading

Posted in Prose | 19 Comments

Ordering ahead

I remember the old days of shopping. If you didn’t ‘t want to go in person, then you spent hours pouring over pictures in a catalog before filling out a form and mailing it off with payment. And then you … Continue reading

Posted in Prose | 11 Comments

Close the door

It was about 0720 and I had my morning all planned. Walk over the SFVA, figure out where to get my flu shot. Get my flu shot. Get coffee if I had time. Catch the shuttle bus to UCSF. Said … Continue reading

Posted in Prose | 8 Comments

words in my head

don’t do me anywhere near as much good as words on paper (which, in today’s world translates to words in an electronic document). I have come to acknowledge that putting off finishing the requirements for the two outstanding incompletes from … Continue reading

Posted in Graduate Education, Medical, Prose | 11 Comments

today? or 18 years

My children at home were 8, 10, 12 when the Twin Towers fell, when the Pentagon was plane bombed, when I lost friends and colleagues. The repercussions are still with us today. In the Xenophobia & anti-immigrant policies that are … Continue reading

Posted in Military, Prose | 2 Comments

Flamingos? I can explain

the whole flamingo thing started in 2003 when this particular set of wind chimes, seen hanging from an internal second floor window here in Berkeley, arrived in the mail while I was serving in Kuwait I still don’t have a … Continue reading

Posted in Home, Prose | 5 Comments

D-Day

the day (June 6, 1944) in World War II on which Allied forces invaded northern France by means of beach landings in Normandy. Today is the 75th Anniversary. All who served in that war, no matter which side, are now … Continue reading

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The Bay as a barrier

It most thoroughly was raining when I crept out of the house this morning, down to the car and drove over to North Berkeley BART parking. In fact, I was pretty damp by the time I had dashed the short … Continue reading

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Entering the New Year

Never having been one for New Year’s Resolutions (writ large) I bow to any of you who do so and actually manage to use same to improve life, living and relationships by this method. Long, fancy way of saying – … Continue reading

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Stealing our words

there are certain words which have definite meanings to us children of the 60s. Those of us who grew up with mainframes, set vocabularies and a sense of humor about the Jaberwok. Not so these modern children who think nothing … Continue reading

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Move, please

One of the challenges that I am facing four days a week is BART between Civic Center in San Francisco and North Berkeley. It isn’t that I love riding on a crowded system, but rather it is a better alternative … Continue reading

Posted in Around Berkeley, Prose | Leave a comment