Following Instructions

When I was at university, I decided I wanted a mobile device. The iPhone and other touchscreen handhelds had not been invented yet, but I imported a Japanese device called the Sharp Zaurus.

Veteran Reserved Parking

At the grocery store near my house, it seems like half the parking spots are reserved for special groups. This is a gross exaggeration (do you expect anything less from me?), but it feels like it’s true when trying to find a spot on a busy evening.

Easter 2020

When I was a kid, I remember reading a book about Antarctic explorers. These intrepid explorers lived and sometimes died in a frozen wasteland. I was reading this book over the Summer, and I remember feeling acutely the cognitive dissonance between a sweltering, humid summer and the descriptions of the dry, cold land I was

The Blown Call

In June of 2010, Armando Galarraga was literally one out away from pitching a perfect game for the Detroit Tigers. A perfect game is a big deal; still one of the most amazing feats in professional baseball. Umpire Jim Joyce blew what should have been the final call of the game, calling a runner safe

The Game He Played

It’s so easy to kill a human being.Flash, bang, little moan, meaty thud.Seven billion creatures on this planet.One less? Who cares.People come to me with their problems.I play the game, I deliver the goods.Day ends, I go home to a loving wife Lying dead on the floor.Too many holes in her head.Who? Why?It’s too easy

The Accidental Car

After moving to New Zealand, I decided it would be convenient if I had a car. So I started looking around on TradeMe, the New Zealand version of eBay. While I was looking, I found a 2000 Alfa Romeo Spider that was totally sweet. And the auction ended in like 20 minutes! And it seemed

The Rumor Heard Around the World

Several years ago the company I was working for at the time spun up a new “startup-like” project. This new project had a code name which is not important to the story; let’s call it Project Bob.

Pain

Grief is a most peculiar thing; we’re so helpless in the face of it. It’s like a window that will simply open of its own accord. The room grows cold, and we can do nothing but shiver. But it opens a little less each time, and a little less; and one day we wonder what

Before Adrianople

7 August, 378

The Gas Cap Girl

During a summer break when I was home from college, I went with my parents to their church. While on our way back home, we pulled up to a line of cars at a stoplight. Two cars ahead, there was an SUV with its fuel door open and the gas cap just hanging there. Nothing