ALL OVER THE PLACE

Author: Mike

  • 35. Different

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    Mike
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    If I was of a mind to agree with Donald Trump, I should probably be happy.   I mean, I’m a white, American male.  I’m going to be on the winning side from now on according to the newly-elected president of the United States of America.   Shit, I’m even a baptized Catholic.  Wait, Catholics…

  • 34. Drive-Thru Culture

    34. Drive-Thru Culture

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    Mike
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    I sensed an aire of rebelliousness in my wife’s voice as she imagined what it would be like to consummate a family meal within the confines of our vehicle. 

  • 33. For Dave

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    “The pain I feel now is the happiness that I had before.  That’s the deal”  – C.S. Lewis I must have been around 6 years old when I met my friend David.  The movie that in my mind of my first memories with him feels clear.  We sat on a bench outside in the schoolyard on…

  • 32. Where We Pretend That It’s All Awesome

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    Yesterday I went to Linkedin.   I really hate Linkedin.  No other online experience makes me feel more inadequate and unsuccessful as a few minutes perusing the apparently limitless success and achievement that everyone else is living on Linkedin.  My hatred is only empowered by the realization these are the exact feelings of self-doubt that…

  • 31. Grazie Siena

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    Mike
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    English / Italiano I didn’t envision opening up my next chapter like this.  I knew change was coming my way, but I couldn’t imagine the current scenario.   I’ve known for nearly a year that I would be leaving Siena to move two hours to the north to the city of Bologna.   I will…

  • 30. Image is Everything

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    Mike
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    Dear lady in the expensive car, yelling at the nurse who is blocking her way, Image is everything in this day and age.  This picture, and many more captured during this insane moment in Denver, Colorado are out there for the whole world to see.  Literally.  I live in Italy, although I was born and…

  • 29. More Hops Thanks To Medieval Aqueducts

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    Growing hops isn’t like growing a summer vegetable garden.  When you grow a vegetable garden, you harvest all of your food before the earth starts tilting away from the sun and your plants all die.  I’ll admit that statement is a bit northern-hemisphere-centric.  To rephrase:  Where I live, the vegetable plants all die in the…

  • 28. Hops In Wine Country

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    Mike
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    I’ve written before about my work volunteering with the “Le Mura” organization in a previous entry.  Here’s a brief summary of what we do for those who don’t feel like reading a whole entry from months ago: Siena’s medieval walls are falling apart.  We attempt to stave off the inevitable march of time by clearing…

  • 27. Brentry

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    Mike
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    I should probably update the picture that is the header up there on this blog.  We’re all over the place as always, and now there’s a new entry.  The latest challenge to traditional family stability has come from Oxford University in the UK.  Marianna was offered a post-doc position to collaborate on a project for…

  • 26. Les Vacances

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    Mike
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    August always presents a delightful dilemma.  What to do when you don’t have to go to the office for a month?  With no students in August, this is one of the aspects about my job that is unique and wonderful.  Of course, there’s work to be done, but for the most part we’re all free…