Author Archives: sputterpub

Condiments

Posted on July 12, 2011 by sputterpub

  They say variety’s a lively spice, but I think there are hotter condiments. A stress of any kind makes me feel twice as much as difference does. And for immense enlivening, anxiety’s the seed more mustardy, the pepper without … Continue reading →

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Desserts

Posted on July 11, 2011 by sputterpub

     I had an amazing dessert recently, which reminded me of two other memorable sweet courses. I was struck by the quality they all shared – absence of chocolate – and that got me wondering. I adore chocolate. Seldom does … Continue reading →

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The Job

Posted on July 8, 2011 by sputterpub

  “I’m not a-skeered o’ you,” I declare to my offspring, even though she’s now almost 418 months old and he’s nearly 349. Talk about whistling in the dark – they terrify me. My children are passionate, capable of expressing … Continue reading →

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Urban Trails

Posted on July 7, 2011 by sputterpub

I fell on the sidewalk two months ago. I was walking to BART on a warm day, and I tripped on some uneven pavement. I went down hard. I smashed my knee and tore some muscle or worse near my … Continue reading →

Posted in Health, Lessons | 2 Comments

Carrot

Posted on July 6, 2011 by sputterpub

Let me tell you about carrots. I had no idea they were going to feature so prominently in my life. Danny loves them. I think he has always wanted at least a pound a day, and he has often achieved … Continue reading →

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Retirement Savings

Posted on July 5, 2011 by sputterpub

     Don’t shoot me if I sound insensitive. I know many of us are living off savings or otherwise struggling to get by. But my job is about retirement plans for small businesses, so I interact regularly with people who … Continue reading →

Posted in Lessons, Money Stuff, Poetry | 2 Comments

Symbiosis

Posted on July 1, 2011 by sputterpub

  Sometimes I compose a science sonnet. In my opinion the form is not limited to love poems or landscape descriptions. I like the rules of containment that sonnets carry: how the limits make me drill into the subject and enter … Continue reading →

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Oatmeal

Posted on June 30, 2011 by sputterpub

  Maybe it really does stick to my ribs. They say oatmeal fills you up and keeps you going all morning. I’ve never been a breakfast eater – I simply don’t feel hunger till I’ve been up for a few … Continue reading →

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Verbal Aggravation

Posted on June 29, 2011 by sputterpub

My father insisted, sometimes, on verbal precision. He would not let us say motor when we meant engine, and he was adamant about the fact that cement is just fancy sand; you have to mix it with water to form … Continue reading →

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Inaudible Woman

Posted on June 28, 2011 by sputterpub

You see me though I don’t make any sound no matter what I do or where I move. My heart beats silently and won’t be found by ear or stethoscope, and I can’t prove I breathe or chew by any … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry | 1 Comment