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People, People Everywhere
I guess it’s basically summer now. Maybe not from an astronomical standpoint—equinoxes and whatnot—but once Memorial Day rolls around, it might as well be. It’s when the tourists descend upon the Black Hills en masse. Tara is not a fan of tourist season. From June through August, our normally quiet little downtown nearly doubles in…
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Knitted a Scarf. My Neck Benefited.
English for Dummies The English language will be the bane of my existence. That’s saying a lot, considering I’m a professional writer.* *By professional, I mean, in job title only. It in no way denotes professionalism. After all, I’m the guy whose witty proposed headline—What the FTP is Webmail?!—was shot down by corporate today because…
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If You Don’t Hear From Me, Check in with the Tin Man or Scarecrow
Have I mentioned the weather around here is nuts? OK, fine. But this is the first time I’ve mentioned it this week. One day it’s summer, the next day it’s winter. Case in point: Thursday, it was 85° and we had the A/C on. Friday afternoon the thermometer was stuck on 43° and we had…
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Here, Bear, & Everywhere
Irrational(?) Phobia When we moved to South Dakota three years ago, I was relieved to learn there were no bears in the Black Hills. I have a deep-rooted fear—probably irrational—that I might get eaten by a bear. The Cascades were black bear country, and I used to go hiking in the wilderness. Alone. While picking…
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Dandelions: 1, Mark: 0
Bye-Bye, Arrows I went grocery shopping yesterday without a mask for the first time in over a year. It was both liberating and weird. Funny how something so unnatural becomes the new norm. About half the shoppers were still masked up. I trust the CDC and have been following their guidelines all along, so I…
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Sunny, My Ass!
I always find it interesting how everything feels like such a novelty for a few days after you’ve returned home. Even the most ordinary and mundane—the stuff you take for granted 99% of the time. Sunday, I found myself gazing so intently at the remote control in my hand you’d think I’d just unearthed some…
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Mark My Words 