Tag Archives: back pain

On making myself a smaller target for illness

I’m not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions. I like the idea of being reflective, and giving serious thought as to how one might be able to do better in the year ahead, but, as a rule, I think they’re counterproductive, as they’re rarely kept, and just leave people feeling like shit. Perhaps more […]

Posted in Food, Health, Mark's Life | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments

Pencil Paparazzi: a winking Melissa Gilbert at Ann Arbor’s Gandy Dancer

I’ve got another entry for our ever-growing Pencil Paparazzi file. This one comes from a young man in Ann Arbor by the name of Bryant. Accompanying his drawing of former Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert, was the following note: “Melissa Gilbert winked at me at the Gandy Dancer. Or maybe she was […]

Posted in Special Projects, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 39 Comments

On the optimism and pity of the non-Americans passing us by

My friend Pete and I eat lunch together a few times a month. Pete, who’s an academic, tells me of his travels to fascinating places like Malawi and Sweden, where he’s either conducting field research on the spread of parasitic diseases, or sharing his findings with leaders in the field of world health, and I […]

Posted in Mark's Life, Observations, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Totally Quotable Clementine: big sister edition

This was said by Clementine shortly after I held her for this photo, which was taken outside Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry in Orlando, Florida. I think I must have shrieked in pain when leaning over to put her down. (Apparently roller coasters aren’t the best things for people who have sheets of peanut […]

Posted in Mark's Life | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 35 Comments

Totally quotable Clementine: self-loathing edition

Clementine said this to me as we were walking into a barbecue place tonight for dinner. I was imagining a big plate of ribs, and she just kind of blurted it out as I reached for the doorknob. Earlier, I’d been telling her how, because of my bad back, I had to exercise more and […]

Posted in Mark's Life, Photographs | Also tagged , , , | 10 Comments

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