Mary Phillips-Sandy lives here.

This is a concept I’ve been thinking about for several years, and given modern technology it seems like something that should be possible: an ever-changing map of a city marked by smells, not street names, although I suppose you’d need an underlying street map to make annotation easier. This morning, for example, I bicycled along [...]

I had another one of those moments this week, where someone made reference to a popular television show and I looked like an idiot because I was unfamiliar with said television show — “George Jefferson? I haven’t met him,” those were my exact words, and they were met with incredulous laughter. Parents: you may think [...]

The scene: Hannaford. Also known as “Hannafuhhd.” Or “the grocery store.” The players: A woman, 40s-ish; her teenage son; an Unrelated Observer. All are in line (also known as “on line”) at the checkout. Son: Hey, we forgot something. Be right back. [Son dashes away and returns moments later with a box of granulated sugar.] [...]

I’ve never seen an episode of Mad Men. Or Gossip Girl. Or Glee. Or The L Word. I have, however, seen every single episode of Three’s Company. And Benson. And at least 95% of the entire Law & Order series. This weekend I found myself in a maternity store on the Upper East Side, where [...]

Earlier today I posted this Sarah Palin tribute video over at Indecision, and yes I watched the whole thing, sober, before breakfast, because that’s just the kind of dedication I bring to my job. Something about the video seemed strange yet familiar, aside from Sarah Palin talking, but I couldn’t put my finger on it [...]

Zach Braff I have an intense, visceral aversion to this man. Perhaps it is his contrivedly-impish facial expressions, or his over-gelled faux-floppy hair, or the accumulation of consonants at the ends of his names. Perhaps it is the fact that he made it impossible for me to listen to that Shins record after it had [...]

Or, a lesson in context: Very early this morning I decided to take a walk, so I got dressed and headed up the hill and down the gravel path and past the horse pasture and onto the paved road, in what I might’ve termed good spirits if my mind hadn’t been completely blank. For the [...]

Overheard yesterday evening at Christy’s Country Store1, whilst purchasing certain occasional indulgences2: Gent, to Cashier, in a tone of Confidence: That was my ex-wife, y’know. Just left. With that fella. Cashier, to Gent: Oh re-ally? That planned? Gent: Whaddya mean? Cashier: She here cause you were? Gent: Naw. Cashier: She say hi? Meaningful pause. Gent: [...]

Yesterday in the car headed north I flipped the radio to the news talk channel, where a Texan preacher was reciting Patrick Henry’s speech to the Virginia delegates, like really emoting it in a quintessentially Texan-preacher fashion, and when he was done the hennish host clucked “Wow, gosh, I am just SO inspired by that,” [...]

…identify ‘em all and I’ll buy you a hot dog and a box of sparklers.