Chris Rodell's Blog, page 100
July 10, 2014
How green are my Apples? My new iPhone
(770 words)
I recently tweeted the line about my hopes that one day I’d live to see a cellphone tower constructed entirely out of old cellphones.
It bugs me that our phones have become like e-Kleenex. We use them momentarily and then discard them.
So I’m feeling especially guilty this week since both my daughter and I got new iPhones. Josie’s earbud portal on her 8-month-old phone was
I recently tweeted the line about my hopes that one day I’d live to see a cellphone tower constructed entirely out of old cellphones.
It bugs me that our phones have become like e-Kleenex. We use them momentarily and then discard them.
So I’m feeling especially guilty this week since both my daughter and I got new iPhones. Josie’s earbud portal on her 8-month-old phone was
July 8, 2014
About those rumors that I'm buying The Pond
(749 words)
I was standing in one bar on Independence Day when I heard I was the subject of a rumor involving another.
“Is it true you’re buying The Pond?”
Huh?
“Yeah, my wife said she heard you were buying The Pond and that’s why you started tending bar there,” he said.
Me buy The Pond?
There have been many times over the last five years when me buying a single $2 draft at
I was standing in one bar on Independence Day when I heard I was the subject of a rumor involving another.
“Is it true you’re buying The Pond?”
Huh?
“Yeah, my wife said she heard you were buying The Pond and that’s why you started tending bar there,” he said.
Me buy The Pond?
There have been many times over the last five years when me buying a single $2 draft at
July 7, 2014
The attempted suicide on Solomon Temple Road
(713 words)
It’s right there on page 95 of my book. It’s just one of 501 items I jotted down to add color or soul to your daily life. It’s kind of innocuous, not one I ever talk about much.
But I’m proud enough of it to point it out to our daughters whenever the situation arises and arise it did the previous Sunday with unholy vengeance.
No. 305: “Say a small, fast prayer anytime you
It’s right there on page 95 of my book. It’s just one of 501 items I jotted down to add color or soul to your daily life. It’s kind of innocuous, not one I ever talk about much.
But I’m proud enough of it to point it out to our daughters whenever the situation arises and arise it did the previous Sunday with unholy vengeance.
No. 305: “Say a small, fast prayer anytime you
July 6, 2014
Re-run Sunday: The night I spent in jail
Tomorrow’s post will be about the man who attempted suicide up the street from us in an incident that made all the area news outlets. He burned down his house and tried to hang himself amidst the flames. An heroic stranger ran inside and saved his life. When the police got there, they arrested him for arson. He could face up to five years in prison. Josie, 13, asked if I’d rather die than go
July 3, 2014
New record "Crayons!" book purchase: 270 to . . .
(903 words)
Two weeks after landing my biggest purchase, I’ve topped it yet again. The new benchmark is 270 copies of “Use All The Crayons!”
But unlike the one for 250 that went to West Virginia University 4H students, I have no idea who’ll be buying these books.
I’m not even sure of the states in which they’ll be sold. It’s because the purchaser is not a group or an individual.
Two weeks after landing my biggest purchase, I’ve topped it yet again. The new benchmark is 270 copies of “Use All The Crayons!”
But unlike the one for 250 that went to West Virginia University 4H students, I have no idea who’ll be buying these books.
I’m not even sure of the states in which they’ll be sold. It’s because the purchaser is not a group or an individual.
July 1, 2014
Tweets of the (last) month!
Some good ones here, yes. I like the one about “Roberto Duran Duran” and “Ancient Grease.” But, really, I should just keep re-running the 70 or so gems I came up with last November. I swear, the philosopher Confucius would read those tweets and wonder, “How does he do it?” As always, any new followers to @8days2amish are welcome and, as always, I’ll make sure readers of the blog always get
June 30, 2014
"Sing me a song, you're the bartender!"
(924 words)
I finished my third weekend of working at The Pond on Saturday so I guess this is as good a time as any to reveal some of the surprising things I’ve learned tending bar at a 60-year-old family tavern.
First, my friends all have full faces. I guess the reason I’m surprised by this is we’ve sat side-by-side in one long row of bar stools for so many years I never saw more than
I finished my third weekend of working at The Pond on Saturday so I guess this is as good a time as any to reveal some of the surprising things I’ve learned tending bar at a 60-year-old family tavern.
First, my friends all have full faces. I guess the reason I’m surprised by this is we’ve sat side-by-side in one long row of bar stools for so many years I never saw more than
June 29, 2014
Sunday encore: When breast implants are booby prizes
Sometimes it’s a reach for me to illustrate some of my posts with one tidy picture. But I try not to be too obvious. For instance, it would have been a cinch to snag a picture of huge boobs to bestow a picture on this one from 2009. Just a picture of a great big boob. Or a pair. But that would have been too obvious. Or, I guess, two obvious. So I used a picture of Bob Dylan because I mention
June 27, 2014
Fame & the night Bruce Willis & I owned the red carpet
(1,022 words)
I guess the idea came to me at about the Bridgeport exit of I-79 South, about 40 miles south of the Pennsylvania/West Virginia border.
I’d been trying to think of a way to conclude my speech to 250 WVU 4-H students so the film clip would make it appear I’d just given the greatest speech ever, something I knew I was incapable of doing on merit.
This was the biggest crowd
I guess the idea came to me at about the Bridgeport exit of I-79 South, about 40 miles south of the Pennsylvania/West Virginia border.
I’d been trying to think of a way to conclude my speech to 250 WVU 4-H students so the film clip would make it appear I’d just given the greatest speech ever, something I knew I was incapable of doing on merit.
This was the biggest crowd
June 25, 2014
Bullies, my 'stache & insane reaction to my speech
(764 words)
Of the 100 or so questions I was asked of me by West Virginia University college students last week, two stand out.
One was how did I get my mustache to be so cool; the other was how do I get the bullies to stop tormenting a special needs girl.
This was at the school’s Jackson’s Mill retreat in Weston. I was asked to address 250 4-H students about how to pursue happiness
Of the 100 or so questions I was asked of me by West Virginia University college students last week, two stand out.
One was how did I get my mustache to be so cool; the other was how do I get the bullies to stop tormenting a special needs girl.
This was at the school’s Jackson’s Mill retreat in Weston. I was asked to address 250 4-H students about how to pursue happiness
