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GIVING UP THE FIRST TIME

November 1, 2024 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

I don’t remember giving up, quitting, rising the white flag. But here we are, and I’m not alone. There’s the rocking chair, the TV, the food delivery. As long as everything lasts, why not rot away quietly? Why not? Here’s why not with Kurt Vonnegut:

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: blog, blog post, blogger, bloggers, books, boomerpdx, Death, Internet, Kurt Vonnegut, memory, mistakes, reading, remember, saul bellow, writer, writers

NEW YORKER THURSDAY IN THE MAIL, A LESSON IN READING

October 4, 2024 by David Gillaspie

The New Yorker magazine is my only subscription and I’m surprised how much fun it is. I actually look forward to it, which has been a surprise over the past year. I know what I’m doing on New Yorker Day:

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: adulting, books, cartoons, cinema, college, context, education, English major, fiction writing, history major, literary duty, literature, magazine, new york, new yorker, news writing, on television, reading, subscription, the theater, writing

QUIET LIFE? GOOD LUCK WITH THAT

September 1, 2024 by David Gillaspie

The quiet life is an aspirational goal. Even the biggest party person eventually welcomes a less social time in their life. But it doesn’t mean they’ve forgotten anyone. Hell, I remember the neighbors from the first house I ever lived in.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: a plan, aspirational goal, bad book, book, books, good book, good luck, quiet life, reading, rock fight, the classics

MICRO MEMOIR II: LEAVING TOWN CHRISTMAS PARTY

April 20, 2024 by David Gillaspie

Leaving town used to be easy, if I remember right. Pack a bag, get in a car, hop on bus, and leave. “I’ll be there in a few days.” Same story going out to Brooklyn as leaving:

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: back talk, books, brooklyn, Christmas party, dance, eat, exotic, food, italian, leaving town, library, made men, MARRIAGE, marriage material, memoir, micro memoir, new york, New York City, office buzz, office job, Penn station, relationship, shit talk, subway, sweet talk, talk, talking, Wall Street, write, writer, writing

TOO MUCH? TOO MANY? WHEN CAN YOU TELL

April 13, 2024 by David Gillaspie

Too much of anything is a problem, but not when someone else tells you. You’ve got to tell yourself. It’s that simple. And that difficult. But, as usual, there’s more to it.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: book, books, bookstore, boomerpdx, boomers, downsize, downsizing, education, good luck, history, hoarding, too many, too much, travel, wife, writer, writers, writing

LONG SLOG BLOG GOES EVEN LONGER

November 14, 2023 by David Gillaspie

A long slog is not a walk in the park. On a sunny day. With friends and plans for more fun. Oh, no, that’s not slogging. This is slogging:

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: America, american culture, Baby Boomer blogger, banned books, blog, blogger, books, boomerpdx, Catcher In The Rye, culture, education, George Orwell, guitar player, history, jamming, long slog, long slog blog, read music, reading, slog, travel, writer, writers, writing

ASPIRATIONAL LIVING STEP BY STEP

August 17, 2023 by David Gillaspie

Aspirational living has it’s own vocabulary. “I would have done that.” “I could have done that.” “How hard can it be?” Sometimes reality sets in sooner than later, as it should.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: aspirational, aspirational living, Baby Boomers, books, boomerpdx, boomers, caring, embarrassing secret, harmless obsession, high school reunion, kind, learning process, living, millennial, millennials, NFL, romance, sharing, sweet, vocabulary, work, writer, writers, writing

READING BOOKS IS A PROBLEM?

July 17, 2023 by David Gillaspie

Why is reading books a problem? Because people read the wrong books. But what’s the difference between the right book and the wrong book? Jimmy knows, so let’s ask Jimmy:

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: banned books, book people, books, boomerpdx, Costco, educational, educational platform, Expert, first page, Hemingway, ken burns, reading, reading books, reading style, right book, slow reading, so what, writers, writing, wrong books

SPORTS BOOK REVIEW: GRACIE GOES GOLFING

June 13, 2023 by David Gillaspie

This sports book review comes via an author’s reading at Annie Bloom’s Books. Last night author Arran Gimba packed the house. From his daughters and their friends, along with their parents, they were a dream audience. What is it about an author reading that gets people out of the house? Let’s start with the joy […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Annie bloom books, Arran Gimba, book review, book store, books, children's book, education, engagement, execution, golf, golfers, Gracie goes golfing, Kirk's reviews, oregon sports, Oregon Sports News, review, sports, sports book, sports book review, sports memories

DRAG QUEEN STORY TIME CANCELLED IN TIGARD LIBRARY?

June 9, 2023 by David Gillaspie

The drag queen story time is canceled in Tigard and I had to learn about it on twitter? Something’s gone wrong when drag queens out in the far reaches of Portland suburbs can’t fly under the radar. It’s not like there’s a specific drag queen review out here like Darcelle’s. Did someone drive up from […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: banned books, books, drag queen, drag queen story time, drag queens, learning, librarians, library, Portland, portland suburbs, public library, story, story time, threat, threatened violence, Tigard, tigard library, Tigard public library, Violence, violence threat