Category: Uncategorized

  • The Holiday(s): 2005

    A twenty-year magical realism retrospective So I have been an adult for a while now. Decades, actually. I would like to share with you a few specific memories from November and December 2005. But first, the HOW: There is this book, published in 1999, I also read in 1999 as a high schooler. It was…

  • World AIDS Day 2025

    Happy 30 years of protease inhibitors and combination therapies! Every year I post an item in remembrance of World AIDS Day. I’ve been doing this since 2018. I do this to shine a light and educate on this issue close to my heart (btw, I’m not HIV-positive because, let’s face it, stigma still exists) and…

  • March 2024 “Month of the Life”

    “Don’t be afraid to start over. This time, you’re not starting from scratch, you’re starting from experience.” -Unknown Soundtrack of My Life: March 3, 2024: 15:43 – Twitch stream – Soy Un Perador / Loser by Beck16:07 – Let It Be by the Beatles16:19 – no more Mr. Nice guy from Dazed and Confused (1993)…

  • February 2024 “Month of the Life”

    “I am learning every day to allow the space between where I am and where I want to be to inspire me and not terrify me.” ~Tracee Ellis Ross Wow, I’m really behind posting.  Let’s just say that there was a lot going on this month: Tomatoes, tunafish, feta cheese, and olive oil. Sounds mediterranean…

  • Oban’s Time in the Spotlight aka December 2023 & January 2024 Photos & Excerpts

    “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” – Maria Robinson This is a dog appreciation post! Soundtrack of My Life: Universal Studios getaway, tiki bar playlist, Friday, December 8, 2023: 18:38 – You Can’t Always Get What You Want by Rolling Stones19:12 –…

  • World AIDS Day 2024

    The views expressed here are my own. Today is World AIDS Day. Every year, since 2018, I write an essay in recognition of World AIDS Day. It’s my tradition. It’s been reported that we as a country have lost three-quarters of a million people who were U.S. citizens* to AIDS since 1981. Last year’s essay…

  • November 2023 Notes & Photos

    “Fear is often our immediate response to uncertainty. There’s nothing wrong with experiencing fear. They key is not to get stuck in it.” – Gabrielle Bernstein introduction In this space, we amplify the magical mundane details and downplay the plot points / story arc that advance the story. This is my interpretation of the magical…

  • Populate my ’90s Safer Sex Spreadsheet

    In the ’90s, when the HIV / AIDS epidemic was still underway, movies, songs, and other media (was there an AOL keyword assigned I wonder?) contained references to the practice of safer sex via condom use to prevent the spread of HIV at the population level. As an adolescent growing up in the ’90s, I…

  • How do you want to spend the next 25 minutes?

    This speech is adapted from a 2023 speech in the Visionary Communication pathway delivered by the author at a Toastmasters club in Florida. My coworker Chuck asked me in 2014, “how do you eat an elephant?” “How?” I asked. “One bite at a time.” Little did I know that it was one of the best…

  • What was life like ? The mundaneness of August / September 2023 told in photos, captions, and journal excerpts

    “Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them. How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives. To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it.” – Judy Blume | Source To me, mundaneness = magical realism. For…