Me, trying to start this blog. Last night I read a Stephen King novella about a man, an English professor, who could whip out witty, insightful short stories without fuss, but when he sat down to write a novel, he froze. The words whirled and scrambled and stuck in his head until he panicked and …
What It Takes
Well now we know the answer to the question: How lonely does Kristie have to get before she turns friendly? 7 days worth of lonely. Lionel wasn’t impressed. “My God,” he said. “You don’t know his name? You never asked?” “Did YOU ask him his name?” I countered. ‘You were there, too.” “All you …
Memory
The air is so damp that everything is melting. I put my long sleeved shirt in my backpack when I got hot, and a piece of gum melted onto the elbow, sticking the sleeve closed. I keep picking it at but every time I put the shirt on I have to shove my arm past …
Chameleons
I got a couple rough hours of sleep and woke up drenched in sweat. After mopping myself up, I went downstairs bleary-eyed and puffy, to meet my new guide. Lionel was waiting for me wearing a turtlenecked sweater, straightlegged jeans and brand new black Converse tennis shoes. I bet I’m older than his mother. Actually, …
Fireworks
The next day, Malala collected me for a tour of the city. She was late because the streets were packed with people celebrating Madagascar’s national soccer team, who had just played in the semifinals of the Africa Cup. They lost, but after the first sting, it didn’t matter. The Africa Cup happens every year, …
Starting
The morning after the night I arrived a day earlier than I should have, I woke up to sunshine and a text from Brett asking when I wanted to leave my temporary hotel to head to the center of the city and my real hotel. I suggested after lunch. “A perfect plan!” Brett responded because …
Quickie
Ok, so I am going to write about my two days in Madagascar's capital Anatanavario later. I've got to wrap my head around some stuff. I've moved east to a kind of cloud/rain forest with bumpy roads and trees and mist and lemurs and I'm settling down a little. Hooray! I have about 20 minutes …
Here
Not to ruin the suspense or anything, but I made it just fine to Hôtel le Relais de la Reine, a lovely hotel where Brett had scored me room about 30 minutes before. I was pretty frazzled (didja notice?) and I didn’t want to leave my phone in the taxi (I’ve done that twice already …
Getting in my Own Way
It has been mentioned that I have a gift for self-sabotage. See you if you can identify it in the following narrative: Yesterday I flew from Portland to San Francisco. In San Francisco, I bought a huge egg and sausage on a brioche sandwich for $10.50. Then I threw it away because it was making …
Finding Myself
I know a lot of adult women who stand up with square shoulders when life gets rocky. There’s Ramona, my neighbor who goes to meetings at the high school for me, pretending to be my boys’ real mother because I hate fucking meetings, not to mention leaving the house, listening to people talk, and showing …
ICEBOX PLUMS: Moments, sweet and cold 