New York. The only state in the union where I have ever had a mailing address, and one which has as its motto the Latin word "Excelsior." This translates, roughly, as "We only begrudgingly admit that there are 49 other states." We couldn't name our state after what it is most known for because dyslexic … Continue reading Driving Around
Just For Fun
A Plesant Day in B’ville
I haven't written much about the town in which I live. I suppose that's not fair. We've lived here since 2015, and while I've found something to love about everyplace I've lived from New York City, NY to Potsdam, NY, there's something about Baldwinsville. Now let me quickly clear up the slogan on our sign. … Continue reading A Plesant Day in B’ville
Writing as Spectator Sport
I remember when I was a teenager and the Monty Python crew were releasing comedy albums (among all of the visual stuff that was still happening then). In 1973 they released Matching Tie and Handkerchief. That came to mind while I was writing today. And I'll tell ya why. My writing was going well today. … Continue reading Writing as Spectator Sport
Little Scotty’s Insanely Visual Day
I had a feeling it was going to be a special day. My daughter and I were driving to a town near Utica, NY to pick up the kitty she was adopting. It was a good day for a drive in the center of the state. Sunny, on the warm side, (it said it was … Continue reading Little Scotty’s Insanely Visual Day
A Notion
Here is what I'm thinking: In the months since I finished writing The Terror of Tijuana, my work effort has been, if I'm being honest, hit or miss at best. This is not all straight laziness and negligence, but those are certainly big components. There were other elements in play, and everything seemed to come … Continue reading A Notion
The Gods Must Be Crazy
Some of you may be familiar with the title of this blog. It is shared with a 1980 motion picture that dealt comically with the convergence of what the majority of society would consider a "primitive" lifestyle with what we so arrogantly call "modern" (or worse still "civilized") society. The concept of the "crazy gods" … Continue reading The Gods Must Be Crazy
My Writing Spirit Guide
I have a 1910 Lincoln penny. Like all Lincoln pennies minted before 1959, it is the sort with the wheat pattern on the reverse. Until this very instant (and I absolutely mean that I am thinking this for the first time) I've never wondered why the government of the United States of America chose to … Continue reading My Writing Spirit Guide
1976 and the Holy Grail
It has been a rough patch of days. Some of the worst. I'm not freaking kidding! But at some point today, after clawing up a very steep hill for... for what, two days? Three? A billion? After that climb, I saw a distant shimmer. I'm a fool to follow it's empty glistening, but I believe … Continue reading 1976 and the Holy Grail
The Journey of a Thousand Miles…
...sometimes begins with a trip home. Let me clarify. I live in Central New York, but for eight of the worst years of my life, I lived in (and around) Potsdam, NY. For those that don't know, (which I feel includes most of you), Potsdam is a college town in Northern New York, (or The … Continue reading The Journey of a Thousand Miles…
Things I Haven’t Had Time to Think About
It depends on the person, ultimately. Imagine every book you've ever seen, and now think about before they were books. Before they were volumes on a shelf, most of the time sitting mutely, collecting dust, they were ideas. They were ideas that became a labor of love at the hands of hundreds of thousands, millions … Continue reading Things I Haven’t Had Time to Think About
S.J. Varengo - Author 