Melancholy, the Flame to My Moth
#463914045 / gettyimages.com A while back, I read a blog post on divorce by Anna Spargo-Ryan. I wilted a little. I saw the silhouettes. I heard the shouts. When it was quiet, I heard the sighs. Most of...
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Desi the Flameout
Here's the thing about Desi: she gets pooped fast.When I first entered her cage, she was jumping all over me. I could barely get her walking collar on. I thought, oh, this dog is gonna be a handful.And...
View ArticleAn Update on Mes Aynak
Brent Huffman, the filmmaker behind the documentary Savings Mes Aynak, has written an update on the status of the archaeological excavations to save the ruins. It's sad enough that the pace of...
View ArticleIndiegogo Fundraising Campaign for Saving Mes Aynak
The good folks who made the documentary Saving Mes Aynak are trying to raise money to help publicize the threat to the priceless Buddhist ruins in Afghanistan.
View ArticleWhen Do You Stop Wiping?
View image | gettyimages.comLife usually gives you pretty clear signals about when to stop doing something. When you cough, you stop smoking. When the light turns red, you stop moving. When the tissue...
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Alternate Cover for Morocco, Maybe
I'm indecisive.Doing the book cover for Morocco, Maybe took forever. I browsed thousands of stock photos and hundreds of fonts. After narrowing down the images to two finalists, I did mockups and...
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Mandy More More More
This here is Mandy, a four-year-old pit bull mix. Deaf, cancer survivor, and my favoritest dog in the galaxy. The second time I took her for a walk, she licked my face all over like a lollipop and...
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I'm So Tired
Arches National Park, UtahAs Donald Trump would put it, I'm a “low-energy” guy.My partner and I have been on a cross-country road trip for over five weeks, and I am homesick. Terribly.Not that the trip...
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Home and Alone on Thanksgiving ... Yay
An American classic, which sadly no longer existsToday is Thanksgiving. I will be alone, as on most holidays, but boy am I glad to be home—that is what I’m super grateful for.We left on July 14, 2015....
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Morocco, Maybe: Author Interview at Elflandia and Goodreads Giveaway
I've been meaning to mention this, but I kept forgetting. Ugh. Bad memory. An author interview about Morocco, Maybe is posted at Elflandia. Thanks Avery, for the privilege.Oh, and I just started a...
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Go for Broke
Source: contentmediagroup.com"Go for Broke."It was the motto of the 100th/442nd—an American Army unit that, by the end of World War II, became the most decorated military unit in US history. It remains...
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Super Adoption of Cats and Dogs (and some wabbits)
Looking for a dog or cat or rabbit to adopt? If you're in the Los Angeles area, you ought to check out the NKLA Super Adoption. Although NKLA is the main organizer, there are also many animals from...
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Route of Our 2015 Road TripHard to believe, but it's been a year since our cross-country road trip. It feels half that. That's the thing about getting old: time goes by faster. When I was a kid, I...
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A Night In Muttley Carlo
Michelle staffing our auction tableFor Halloween this year, we volunteered at the annual Amanda Foundation fundraiser. It's the animal rescue that we walk dogs for. We first did it back in 2014, when...
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The Beauty from Falling Down
Embed from Getty Images^ That. Is not me. Obviously.For one, nobody ever squees over me like they do for puppies. I'd like to believe it happened while I was a baby, but I don't remember, so it doesn't...
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Booze, Gambling, Gangsters, Flappers, and Dogs ... a Roaring Twenties Halloween
Every Halloween brings another annual fundraiser for the Amanda Foundation, our local dog & cat rescue. This was our third year working the main gig but our first time doing the group dog-walk, the...
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Stop Making Me Cry
Credit: http://snapjudgment.org/podcastPoignant stories make me cry, especially if they are true.If you're a fan of public radio, like me, then you might've heard of the show Snap Judgment. It's true...
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Oooh That Feels So Good I Can't Keep My Eyes Open
We usually go to the animal shelter that's within walking distance of our home, but this past Friday we drove to a couple of other shelters: West LA Animal Shelter and NKLA. On Sunday we went back to...
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My newest novel, Rapture, is out. Giant thanks to my beta readers—you are worth all the bitcoins in the galaxy.Blurb, retail links, and excerpt are here. You can win a free paperback at Goodreads....
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Take This Waltz
Credit: Magnolia PicturesLove is hard to do. It's hard to do it right in life. And it's hard to do it right in fiction.Most fictional love stories fall into one of three piles. The cheerful type,...
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Shackleton: The (Almost) Impossible Story of Surviving in Antarctica
I like love survival stories. Being neither mentally tough nor physically strong, I’ve always admired those who overcame overwhelming adversity despite excruciating pain and nearly impossible odds.One...
View ArticleAuthor Interview at LFBooks
It's not everyday that someone wants to talk to me and hear my silly thoughts. Not even close to everyday.Therefore, I am excited and grateful that LFBooks, a book review blog, has published an...
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The Tragic Last Sailing of the Lusitania
When World War I was raging in Europe, German U-Boats (submarines) infested the waters off the British Isles. The Lusitania, a luxury cruise ship, was sailing from New York to England in 1915. Some...
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Bloody Fascinating
It's not everyday that I stay up all night to finish a book. In fact, I can't remember the last time I did it prior to reading Bad Blood by John Carreyrou. He is the Wall Street Journal reporter who...
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Spies, Spies, and Divorce
Embed from Getty ImagesSince people have more time at home these days, they are also looking for more ways to amuse themselves indoors. Sex is one option, although in some places, restrictions apply if...
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