In Taiwan, Everything is Easy

Read the fine print. Ask a man to read the directions on a DIY project NEVER!!! I booked a trip to Vietnam.  I didn't read the fine print. I melted down. I nearly got arrested. First, lets rewind 20 years.  You'll see why. Introducing Larue Larue (my dad) likes Moosehead Lager and shell peanuts. Larue (my dad) calls shell peanuts, the kind you have to open. Larue loves the two beer buzz. Larue loves simple. Larue still loses his temper. When I turned 30, I tracked my personality to his  I hated it. Now, I roll with it. Larue Can't Cook Larue (my dad) made tea for my mom every morning for 20 years. Larue washed the dishes every night for 20 years. Larue fetched steak sandwiches from J's Steaks and Subs every Friday. Larue cooked grilled cheese sandwiches if the kids got sick. Larue never deepened his arsenal of cooking beyond grilled cheese sandwiches, and pick-up from J's Steaks and Subs. ...

Photo Credit: Ming Lala (Sophia) Heads or Tails? Colorado or San Fran I flipped a quarter Heads- Colorado Tails- San Francisco. I hoped for Colorado. I knew the route to Colorado. I uncovered my my right hand. The coin read Tails. SHIT Best out of 3. Two flips later, I continued north on Route 17 towards Flagstaff, AZ.  The A/C blasted with all its might. The 120 degree outside heat ripped through the car Eric Kelly (The Mad Pacer) Returns My gray Nokia flip phone, with a red border, lit up.  My green Sierra Nevada Pale ale shirt covered my chest hairs. 555-456-9876 read the Nokia flip phone. ERIC KELLY!!! YES!!!! My right hand reached for the volume on my CD player. My left hand rolled up the windows The words of James Taylor, Sweet Baby James took a rest. I didn't want to miss this phone call. The timing for this phone call was EPIC. I never say the word EPIC either. My blue '04 Corolla tires, with one missing hub cap,  passed dot...

Deafening Silence & A Visit With My Arch Nemesis (ZBlanco) Introducing Popfree Insurance-  the bullshit name I am giving my former employer ZBlanco - call center (Popfree Insurance) supervisor, overly metro, married MBA guy, Mexican American.  ZBlanco  called everyone by their work id name. I returned the favor by naming him ZBlanco. JDent - my work id name at Popfree Insurance Let's talk. The Hey Buck, You should be a teacher conversation, never disappeared inside my head. However, 2 years raced past me. The sun shined outside. The sun always shined in Tempe, AZ. Inside Popfree Insurance (my fake company Name), we couldn't see outside. My collared sailor shirt covered my top half. The sailor shirt was #5 in the rotation.  My ex thought I looked hot. I thought gay. She bought the shirt. Today, I also wore a belt. Today, I combed my hair. (unusual for me).Today, I tucked my shirt in. Today, I left my sho...

Welcome back to Taiwan. Ugly Green Military Bag-  My friend Jon, gifted me a military-style backpacker bag from the 70's before I left Tempe, Arizona. I left Tempe, AZ, for a teaching job in Zhongli, Taiwan. The bags from flight #542 spun around the carousel in Taipei. I didn't have to talk to anybody.  I wanted to hold onto that moment. I hoped my bag never came. Wait a second. That would have been dumb if I lived the rest of my life in the Taipei airport. Living in the Taipei airport still tempted me. The next 24 hours scared the shit out of me. A new life in Taiwan loomed. I knew two things about Taiwan. I knew my toys as a kid were made in Taiwan. I also knew about the Taipei 101. I only knew about the Taipei 101 from by building/mapping geek friend, Trevor.  If somebody spoke, what could I say?  Could I say I know you guys made some wicked toys in the 80's. Grab The Ugly Green Bag I strapped on my big boy shoes. Reality...