William Lobb's Blog, page 7
September 30, 2022
First Chapter—The Three Lives Of Richie O’Malley
Chapter One Before – New York City 1950s A spark was ignited fourteen million-millennia ago when the first stars formed from carbon dust. Over time that fire was injected into every one of us who has ever successfully exited the womb, creating something deserving of a big, complicated, raging and powerful name. But we call […]
September 29, 2022
Talking To The Boy About War
The grandboy wanted to talk about war yesterday. He’s eight and he holds a very strong good guy vs. bad guy image in his head. I tried to explain greed and obscene wealth to him but it was a bit more than he was ready to fathom. He thought Russia had a right to “take […]
September 21, 2022
61 years from 61 in ‘61
In 1961, it was all that was discussed. Even the endless Ford vs. Chevy background noise was a bit suppressed. Guys who sold their lives an hour at a time to make a hundred dollars a week stopped bitching about bosses and wives and kids and lawn mowers that wouldn’t start, and thirty cents a […]
September 18, 2022
The Royals
I think what galls me the most about the worship of the royals is simply this: I’ve been working since I was eight. I think I’ve been on the books and paying taxes since I was fourteen. I’ve learned to admire some great writers, Hemingway and Steinbeck and Faulkner. And musicians, like Marvin and Clarence. […]
September 13, 2022
Third Grade Math
What-the-fuck, I’m trying to do third grade math with the grandboy. Multiplication, simple shit. 5×7, “Thirty five, boy, let me write out the times table for you” “What’s a times table?“ Then he proceeds to do some complex calculation that involved 42… “What the fuck does 42 have to do with it?” “Don’t swear Pa!” […]
September 9, 2022
Driving Whisky
https://www.amazon.com/Three-Lives-Ri... Pearlman pulled a bottle of Jamison’s Irish Whiskey from a brown bag as we bounced in the Jeep. We were headed up the road to La Malaza. Soon we’d pass the scene of the attack that killed Carmella and Rodrigo. I was driving and following his mysterious orders. “My Daddy’s favorite driving whiskey,” he […]
September 3, 2022
The Mirror
Driving home in the red Ford, top down, listening to nothing but that sweet small block rumble, a black sky full of stars, a waxing moon. Up in the headlights on the dark stretch I catch a glimpse of this guy, stumbling and tripping over the grasses and brush that border this road. Dark shirt, […]
September 2, 2022
Dead or Jail…
Luis’ cousin, Sixto, warned him one time, “That white guy is fucked up.” I went after Sixto with a bat for saying that. He had a knife. It was a bad fight. Luis broke it up. I was going to fight this guy Ruben one time. I’ve long forgotten why. He was big, way bigger […]
Dead or in Jail…
Luis’ cousin, Sixto, warned him one time, “That white guy is fucked up.” I went after Sixto with a bat for saying that. He had a knife. It was a bad fight. Luis broke it up. I was going to fight this guy Ruben one time. I’ve long forgotten why. He was big, way bigger […]
August 30, 2022
I Don’t Ever Want To See That Guy Again
I was off the bike, at least any serious riding for the past year. Covid took athletes heart and turned it into afib and heart failure. Not riding wrecked my back. My knees are a mess. It’s been a haul, but now I’m back on the bike and today met the guy I had hoped […]
