Well, He's . . . Sensitive
I’ve been hallucinating again. Oh, it’s not the first time. Again the visions are strange, eerie, a little frightening and a little fun. I remember the first time (or rather, the first time that I remember) was back when I was about 33. I was married at the time and suddenly, when I’d wake up … Read more
Well, it’s a milestone for me and Gay Pride celebrations everywhere. This weekend was the grandaddy of them all, right here in San Diego. People from all over the world come to be part of this celebration. It is the single largest festival of the year in San Diego. There are some events that are bigger, … Read more
I just finished a nutritious watermelon lunch. It was almost as good as the delicious watermelon dinner I had the other night. I was flooded with fond memories as I slurped my way through the lucious orb and reached something close to food ecstasy when the sweet juice dribbled off my chin and onto my waiting … Read more
I just spent my third straight day at the beach. No, not full days, but certainly a few hours each of the last 3. It’s been three days that make you say, ‘I love San Diego!’ Incredible blue overhead that get’s darker and deeper the higher you gaze; Blue black Pacific turning emerald near the … Read more
Michael O’Donaghue instigated our modern notion of humor. His was dark, sometimes almost nasty and always pushing the edges. He was a founding writer and eventual editor of National Lampoon and was instrumental in the launch and early success for Saturday Night Live. This piece was originally published in the 11th issue of NatLam, in … Read more
One It was summer: that blinding slow kind of summer that dominates the Southeast between June and September. Mornings started steamy as rain from the day before baked off the lawn. By 10, the breeze was gone and the sunlight was so intense that you had to squint when you went outside. The air was … Read more
People who know me well tell me I’m a waffler. They don’t mean it as a condemnation of me but just as a statement of fact: one of those inevitable flaws that we accept, understand and (when we need to) exploit. I often flip-flop on issues, questions, points-of-view, opinions, courses of action . . . … Read more
I called my friend Dot a douche bag. It was a long time ago, like 15 years or something. We were on a business trip from Atlanta to Savannah in her maroon Volvo. We’d already had a couple of great pretend fights, the most recent over music. She insisted that she needed to hear the … Read more
‘You oughta get yourself some hormones, honey!’ — said Jessica Tandy’s character in ‘Fried Green Tomatos’, Ninny Threadgood. My hormones are all outa wack. I know: that’s something a woman would say. Women are allowed to have screwy hormones. Us guys are supposed to drift through life on a constant testosterone high. I assure you, … Read more
1985 So Atlanta is about 90 minutes from Athens, home of the University of Georgia and some of the most interesting people you ever could meet . . . anywhere. I used to go there quite a bit, especially in the late 70s when my friend Jorma lived there. Jorma was an amazing woman. I met … Read more