Steel shutters
The rain comes down steadily in Amsterdam. No surprise really. It is the Netherlands in late October. The walk from the train station up past three canals was too much [...]
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Posted November 05, 2014in Joe's Neighborhood
Posted October 29, 2014in Joe's Neighborhood
Water into wine
Dead would not be too strong to describe the wine industry in Iowa just a few years ago. Only 30 acres were in grape production as recently as 2000. I’m [...]
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Posted October 22, 2014in Joe's Neighborhood
Smart phones
Now, don’t push. Everyone will get to see everything. That’s it. OK, sex and drugs to the left. Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Van Gogh straight ahead. And the Anne Frank House [...]
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Posted October 15, 2014in Joe's Neighborhood
One day in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower
Being underground is always a little unnerving. And certainly when you are more than 6 feet under. The old Paris subway system smells of dark, dripping dankness even in the [...]
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Posted October 08, 2014in Joe's Neighborhood
Lifting to failure — part 1
The big man in the tight singlet dips his hands into the chalk. His gaze is elsewhere. Fingers spread wide, he brushes his callused palms back and forth letting the [...]
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Posted October 01, 2014in Joe's Neighborhood
The Frog King
The young girl sat on her dad’s shoulders. Waiting. Not a muscle moved. Fidgeting is apparently not allowed at such heights. The rest of us stood on our toes, dancing [...]
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Posted September 24, 2014in Joe's Neighborhood
‘For everything there is a season…’
There’s a man. And there’s a man. And there’s a man. Yup, another man. Of course, one more man. And there’s a… hold it, my goodness, it’s a woman. It’s [...]
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Posted September 17, 2014in Joe's Neighborhood
Shouldn’t we pay for them to plug in their coffeepots?
“Listen. This is not complicated. Just turn on some music. Any music. And listen.” Hmmm… this is different. “Close your eyes while you’re listening to this music. This is a contest [...]
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Posted September 10, 2014in Joe's Neighborhood
And the rain keeps falling
The rain is coming down so hard there is nowhere for it to go but up. Water washes over the roads and creates small ponds at intersections making you hesitate [...]
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Posted September 03, 2014in Joe's Neighborhood
The demise of shame
Shame is the first to leave the room when the years come calling. No kidding. And this is after shame seemed like such a steady companion. A trustworthy sidekick. There [...]
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