Today is my nephew Max’s birthday. He’s 12. It’s crazy because I remember when he turned four like it was yesterday. Despite all the familial heaviness we had a lot of fun at his birthday party last night. This is quite a testament to our resilience, because before the party began we spent a lot …
Ever since reading Kevin Brockmeier’s A Brief History of the Dead whenever I learn about the death of someone I have cared about I immediately want to sit and scribble down every memory I have about them. Because by committing those memories to paper and pixels I can ensure that they are not forgotten and …
I just got an e-mail from Sister #3 that included a link to a story about a man who dropped dead moments after bowling a perfect 300 game. For those of you who are familiar with my short story “Lane 6″ you ought to be a little bit creeped out. Only in my story the …
I saw the ruins of Dan Patch Lanes for the first time this weekend. It was not easy. Even harder still is having to dive back into the bowling alley stories so soon after viewing the wreckage. Reading though a rather crappy story I wrote called “Rocket Science” gives me that tight chest, I kind …
Well, it’s done. Gone. Over. Today they tore down Dan Patch Lanes. My dad sent the picture. I’m a little sad that I didn’t get to see it in person. Seeing the old building decimated has shaken me up much more then I thought it would. I really miss that place and the people that …
I sat down at the bar on Saturday and used my elbow to push aside empty cigarette packs, screwdrivers, and Diet Pepsi cans so my arm would have a place to rest. I could hear Dad and Scottie (a family friend) in the back talking about what to throw and what could be used in …
It was the perfect last night. There was beer and pizza and the crash of pins mixed with laughter. The alley was full all day with old-timers and first-timers. Lots of people stopped by to bid adieu. Mom even said that at one point in the afternoon there was a 45 minute wait for a …