• Improving on a Beethoven Masterpiece–I Think

    Improving on a Beethoven Masterpiece–I Think

    I have a love for Beethoven’s music. More so than Mozart, J.S. Bach, or even, going back to my college days, when I was a rabid fan of The Clash and artists like Bruce Springsteen. I think Beethoven’s passion came through so clearly in his symphonies, piano concertos, piano sonatas, string quartets, and other works. Read more

  • What I Have Been Doing in My Retirement (Hint: It’s Not Gardening)

    What I Have Been Doing in My Retirement (Hint: It’s Not Gardening)

    As I approached retirement, I attended many retirement potlucks to ask soon-to-be retirees about their plans for the rest of their lives. Their answers never failed to disappoint: “I always said I need more time to work in my garden, now I’ll have plenty of time!,” “I will bake a lot more,” “I plan on Read more

  • When My Number Was UP: A Six Sentence Story

    When My Number Was UP: A Six Sentence Story

    It was exciting to take a helicopter ride over Alaskan glaciers; the view was stunning, and the sounds in the chopper were just like the sounds you hear in films and TV shows. I couldn’t help but feel that the pilots for these tours had to ask themselves from time to time, “How many more Read more

  • The Man Who Mistook His C-PAP Mask for a Stack of Pancakes

    The Man Who Mistook His C-PAP Mask for a Stack of Pancakes

    I was at a strange dining room table–at least I thought it was me. I “felt” young, tall, and handsome. In front of me was an empty plate, accompanied by the full assortment of silverware and a fancy cloth napkin. Someone was talking to me from the adjacent kitchen as if we were intimately acquainted, Read more

  • The Bitter Incongruity of Old Man Problems & and the Triumph Bonneville in the Window: A Repost

    The Bitter Incongruity of Old Man Problems & and the Triumph Bonneville in the Window: A Repost

    While ordering my calcium and vitamin D online, I was reminded I used to buy my pills from a neighbor who had a shop a couple of blocks from my office in Downtown Sacramento. Then I remembered the Triumph in his window and was tempted to walk the few blocks to his house, assuming he Read more

  • Observations for the Mat #11: The Singing Yoga Teacher

    Observations for the Mat #11: The Singing Yoga Teacher

    Keisha, the singing yoga teacher Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a yoga workshop titled “Sacred Sound + Flow,” led by LaKeisha at YogaSix Land Park. As one of her students, I felt fortunate to attend this unique 90-minute session that featured a slow Vinyasa flow accompanied by live harp music, a meditative Read more