Daily Entries for the week of
Sunday, January 19
through
Saturday, January 25, 2020
It’s Saturday, January 25, 2020.
Welcome to the 659th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Braciola di Pollo
(Chicken, stuffed and rolled)
Creation and Photo by Dom
For more, see 2.0 Commentary and 6.0 Dinner/Recipe, both in this section.
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2.0 Commentary
First decent sleep in a week: From 11.00pm to 3.30am on Friday morning.
A couple of aspirin relieved the already ebbing pain around my knee and allowed the rest.
At 8.20am they will remove my stitches and I can return to my routine of podcasts, videos, and lifting.
Terrific company over last night’s dinner, cousin Lauren, Tucker, and La Donna (LD).
Excellent conversationalists, they.
The main attraction, the Braciola di Pollo, was the product of years of experience.
The first change I made from the traditional recipe was to slow-roast the chicken.
Actually, this recipe perfect for the idiom.
Then I treated the outside of the chicken to a marinade of garlic-olive oil with oregano, salt, and freshly-ground pepper.
Finally, as our readers know, every slow-roast is finished with a brief exposure of the meat to the application of a very high heat. For this, having in mind to create a pan mushroom gravy, I decided I would fry the chicken in a skillet with a butter-garlic oil mix, creating a fond (browned bits stuck to the skillet after frying) providing the basis of a great pan gravy.
In the event, everything worked.
Well-thought out, why wouldn’t it?
See 6.0 Dinner/Recipes in this section for more.
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4.0 Chuckles/Thoughts
"I hold a little fundraiser every day. Its called going to work."
~ Stephen Colbert
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5.0 Mail
We love getting mail.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
This from Colleen G:
Hi Dom,
Sorry to hear of your knee's haunting nature at night. I completely understand---hence my final comment "Thank goodness for ibuprofen."
Anyway, on another note---your focus on breathing made me think of a piece I wrote over a year ago. I thought I would share it with you seeing as you have a deep appreciation for breathing--haha--as I'm sure most living humans do: http://www.theroomtowrite.org/blog/smallbites
Web Meister responds: This is a too brief gilding of the philosophic pill. Colleen’s terrific.
Colleen G further writes:
Also, I thought I would update you on the progress with Seniors Writing workshops we had talked about long ago. We are still slowly moving toward some programming and I am happy to share the first workshop, the details of which just came together for sure this week. It's a Bookmaking workshop. I'll attach a flier for you and you can feel free to share it with anybody you think may be interested. Seniors can participate on their own, but they are encouraged to bring a young person in their lives (10 years old and up) to share in the experience and benefit from hearing a story from someone much older than them. We want to encourage and offer opportunities to engage in storytelling across the generations as well as among our peers. Perhaps you'll consider joining. It's open to all, but with a limit of 25 participants people are encouraged to email or call (info on the flier). It's FREE!:
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
BRACIOLA DI POLLO
For four
Stuff the chicken:
Four chicken legs, skin on, boned and flattened by butcher, additionally flattened at home if necessary
Put a slice of mortadella on each piece, cutting off any mortadella that overhangs the chicken.
Sprinkle these ingredients equally over the chicken legs:
4 oz shredded mozzarella
½ cup panko bread crumbs
½ cup freshly-grated Romano cheese and
¾ cup of fresh basil and/or parsley
Plus:
Drip ½ t Garlic Oil dripped on each and
To taste, sprinkle freshly ground black pepper, nutmeg, and a bit of salt
Cut 3 (16”) lengths of kitchen string for each chicken leg.
Fold chicken pieces (stuffed but still lying flat) over themselves and securely, not tautly, tie each with 2 or 3 lengths of the string.
Brush the chickens, top and bottom, with this marinade:
4TB melted butter mixed with ½ t each of: onion and garlic powders, salt and freshly-ground pepper, and nutmeg
Set the chicken pieces on a rack in a roasting pan and slow-roast for ninety-minutes.
Add olive oil as needed to use the roasting pan or a skillet to hot-saute each side of the chicken for seven minutes until they get a delicious brown color.
Remove the chicken to a serving platter.
Use the tasty skillet to make a mushroom sauce.
If more fat is needed, add butter.
Add the ½ lb mushrooms, cut into bite-sized pieces, to the hot fat, sprinkle the mushrooms with 1 ½ T of flour and, to taste, add salt and freshly-ground pepper.
Cook until mushrooms are browned.
Add these:
½ cup fresh basil and/or parsley
1 cup Madeira or Marsala Wine
1 cup chicken stock, our own!
Bring the pan to a boil and reduce the pan to 1 cup of gravy.
Pour the mushrooms and sauce over the chicken in the serving dish and garnish with basil and/Italian parsley.
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It’s Friday, January 23, 2020.
Welcome to the 658th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
American-style lo mein
Eric T Gunther - Own work
For more, see 6.0 Dinner/Food Recipes in this section.
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2.0 Commentary
I am exhausted.
An onslaught of sleepless nights has followed in the wake of the healing of the damage done to my knee, pain the hallmark of such healing.
Pain trumping fatigued.
Sleeplessness hardly conveys the frustration and distress it inflicts on its victim, depriving him of his well-being, reducing his functioning to a degree that puts the victim in danger of a misstep or miscalculation that could lead to injury.
I speak here about the schedule or calendar disruption it causes.
My body indicates it’s time for bed.
11.00p, about standard for me.
Do the last bits, turn off the lights, put the computer to sleep, brush my teeth.
Get into bed with my Kindle.
Eyes close.
Pop two melatonin, 3 grams each, and lie down.
Most of the time I fall off to sleep.
Not during these pain nights.
Close my eyes and five minutes later I know I am not easily falling asleep tonight.
Try a lot of things.
Tonight, a small sip of brandy, I have a good one.
Another night, a small bowl of Italian Weeding Soup.
Or a breakfast sausage and single fried egg.
A small glass of milk.
Watching TV.
Reading.
More melatonin.
Any of them capable of bringing me to a state of sleepy-eye.
None of them with the power to crossover from sleepy to asleep.
Finally, I throw in the towel and, at 2.30am, start my official breakfast, 12 oz of half-decaf coffee and half a doughnut.
I watch a mindless movie while I drink and munch.
Then I get up and start my commentary for the blog.
By 4.30am I am sleepy again.
Get in bed again.
This time I do crossover.
And wake at 7.15am, ready to meet the day.
This is not a good thing.
But I tough it through.
As I’ve done all my life during my regular attacks of sleeplessness.
A couple of judiciously-placed, well-received naps easing the way.
But this is the third day in a row, now,
And I am tired.
Dog-tired.
Ashley her name.
The beauty of her personality reflected in her lovely face.
Now serving me coffee and asking about my knee, referencing the effectiveness of the melatonin I take, referencing my choice of the gin and tonic before the clinic, so announcing that she follows my blog.
So surprised.
So honored.
And so, uplifted.
A little kindness towards each other.
Means so much.
FYI: During this night I developed the idiom for Lo Mein found in 6.0 Dinner/Recipe in this section.
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4.0 Chuckles/Thoughts
"I cannot stand people who disagree with me on the issue of Roe v. Wade... which I believe is about the proper way to cross a lake.
~ Stephen Colbert
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
The desire for Lo Mein has been growing in me.
And I know I can make it to my taste, but need a couple of good recipes to compare and get me started.
Last night I pulled up a recipe.
It began with instructions certain to overcook the spaghetti.
I can fix that.
Continued by using too much soy and teriyaki.
Too much as measured by the sodium factor.
I can fix that.
Perhaps by using some vinegar instead of some of the soy and teriyaki.
Otherwise, the general idea seems good.
Will try it one of these nights.
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It’s Thursday, January 23, 2020.
Welcome to the 657th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Lord Byron
This portrait of Lord Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), by the English artist Richard Westall, is an oil-on-canvas work painted in 1813.
For moire information, see 11.0 Thumbnails in this section.
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2.0 Commentary
So?
Do you?
Do you look?
After you blow.
Your nose.
Do you look?
After you blow, do you look?
Come on, fess up.
Some obstruction is impeding your breathing;
Your ability to draw in full draughts of air.
The obstruction forcing you to exert yourself to breathe.
Unnatural, to need effort to breathe.
Finally you blow.
Like a bullet, the blockage shoots out into the tissue.
Instant relief.
You breathe in Mistral-sized draughts.
But you think.
What could possibly have been lodged in there to cause such distress?
You’ve got to take a look at it.
Don’t you?
Could be alive.
A species of slimy, snail-like creatures.
All God’s.
Could be.
What about people around you
Who sneeze or blow their noses?
Do you wonder if they look?
Do you watch them after they’re done sneezing, an involuntary but effective blow.
Or force the blow?
Our reactions to the snot.
Their reactions to the snot.
These are the important issues.
Impeachment?
Warming?
Hunger?
Distress?
Tsunami?
Typhoon?
Small stuff.
Breathing.
That’s the thing.
Blockage being newsworthy.
So?
Do you?
Do you look?
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4.0 Chuckles/Thoughts
"An apple a day keeps anyone away, if you throw it hard enough."
~ Stephen Colbert
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5.0 Mail
We love getting mail.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
This from Colleen G:
Hi Dom,
So excited for your dinner in real life tonight! You are amazing how you reinvent yourself:)
I absolutely loved the poem about meeting the man on the train. Something so good you should send it to a contest or to be published. It was as beautiful as we awkward but curious and kind humans can get. Kudos!
Lastly--that knee. I'm so sorry about that dang knee. My knees have been a problem since I was a teenager. You know it's trouble when the head ortho surgeon at MGH calls his intern in to show him something interesting. I have learned you never want to be the "interesting" patient in an experienced doctor's office. Haha! Anyway, I don't like to run (I love to walk) so it all works out.
Hope your healing process moves along swiftly. Be patient and take it as a good excuse to do things that don't involve using your knee.
Thank goodness for ibuprofen!
Cheers,
Colleen:)
Colleen Getty
The Room to Write
781-621-3274
www.theroomtowrite.org
Web Meister responds: You are always so much fun I love seeing your name on the incoming mail list.. Thank you for your positivity.
And for sharing.
It's eye opening how sharing resonates with listeners,
your last letter pulling in my cousin's story.
I hope we can keep this going for another day or two.
if you give me permission to reprint.
Collen G responded:
Hi Dom,
Certainly--if you think my ramblings are of interest.
Hilariously, I saw the note about treating vertigo with the Epley thing-a-ma-bob.
It''s true. I was dizzy---over a decade ago--and my doctor told me to do that move at home.
I didn't know I could have been calling it Vertigo.
That would have sounded much more interesting than dizzy and, of course, I love the Hitchcock movie to go along with it.
Anyway, I have always said I am a young person (back when I was technically young) trapped in an old lady's body. Reading your blog seems to be confirming it more and more as I think of some of the similarities I have with your readers (perhaps they are teenagers, I don't know:) and am amazed that my body ten or twenty years ago seems to have been older than they are now. Perhaps I am getting younger with age. Is that scientifically possible that I got all my old age out on the wrong end?!! Haha.
Anyway, I'm sure I'm offending someone at this point, but had to share the laugh about the Epley move thing. I joked then that it was a confirmation that I had a few screws loose in my head and needed to let them fall back into place. It did work, but I'm sure the screws are still loose and just in the right place by sheer luck.
Cheers,
Colleen:)
Web Meister responds: Great stuff, Colleen. All of it. hanks for sharing.
6.0 Dinner/Recipe
Been working on my recipe for Braciola di Pollo, a flattened piece of chicken stuffed, rolled onto itself, cooked and served with a pan-gravy.
In the creation, it sounds fabulous:
Brings together many of the techniques with which I’ve been experimenting: slow-roast, marinade, sauce.
Serving it Thursday night when I’ll take a picture of it, posting the picture and the recipe the next day.
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11.0 Thumbnails
This portrait of Lord Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), by the English artist Richard Westall, is an oil-on-canvas work painted in 1813.
Painting credit: Richard Westall
Byron was an English poet, peer, and politician who became a revolutionary in the Greek War of Independence.
He contributed generously to this cause, and despite his military inexperience, took a section of the rebel army under his own command.
He fell ill while planning an attack on the Turkish-held fortress of Lepanto, rallied a little, developed a fever, and died a few weeks later.
This picture hangs in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
This is one of a number of portraits of Byron painted by Richard Westall, who also painted Horatio Nelson, John Milton, and other well-known figures, as well as landscapes in watercolor and book illustrations.
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It’s Wednesday, January 22, 2020.
Welcome to the 656th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Cooking in Real Life class of 01 20 2020: Kaleab, Ivan, Dom and Joanna, some of the participants
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2.0 Commentary
More mail is coming in regarding falls and injuries.
Some are private; some are for sharing as Anne K’s is: See 5.0 Mail in this day’s post.
My knee is almost without pain this morning with near total flexibility.
Thank heaven for small favors.
Until we’re get or injured, we rarely appreciate the long stretches of good health most of us enjoy most of the time.
Today I appreciate my good health.
Warning myself not to get casual yet.
The Cooking in Real Life class went perfectly last night: everyone hands on; everyone chattering, listening.
And the food wee-appreciated.
See the lead picture in today’s post.
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4.0 Chuckles/Thoughts
"Global warming isn't real because I was cold today!
Also great news: world hunger is over because I just ate."
~ Stephen Colbert
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5.0 Mail
We love getting mail.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
This from our dear friend, Anne K:
Hi Dom,
I am so sorry you had the accident and hurt your knee so badly!
I hope it keeps improving! I am thinking of you.
I am home for 30 days healing after ankle surgery that I had done January 15th.
The surgery was the result of missing a step going downstairs last April!
I have strict orders from the doctor to keep my leg elevated for 15 days and have zero weight on it for 30 days!
I am reading my third book now.... I will certainly be ready to leave the house after this is done!
I hope that we can get together after we are all healed up! Miss you and hope your knee continues to heal!!
Anne xxxx
Web Meister responds: it's eye opening how sharing resonates with listeners.
stories are coming in.
your last letter, one of them.
I hope we can keep this going for another day or two.
can we add your letter to the sharing?
dom
And Anne K responded:
Of course!!
I am looking forward when we can all get together again soon!
We just need to follow instructions and heal!
Anne
Web Meister responds: As soon as you’re up to it.
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6.0 Dinner
Last night we made perfect, juicy pork chops: seven of them slow-roasted then broiled/seared for two and a half minutes per side.
We brushed the pork chops with a marinade of our own Asian oil with curry, cumin, ginger, garlic, and salt.
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12.0 Diary of the Surrender of a Private Car
Nearing a month now since I sold the car and not a trace of regret in giving it up.
Have saved to date $1200 and spent <$50.00 on extra transportation.
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20.0 Acknowledgements
I would like to acknowledge the support of those who responded to the incident of the knee, in particular those who shared their letters with the blog.
From the strong reactions, the sharing is really helpful to many.
Makes us feel we are not alone.
And thanks to Microsoft for their continuing support and to Wikipedia for the example they set and the services they provide.
Photo is of President Calvin Coolidge after he signed another treaty with Native Americans.
The sly devil
21.0 Good Morning
My knees are just fine.
Take a look.
But now, gotta go.
Moving fast.
Strong knees.
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It’s Tuesday, January 21, 2020.
Welcome to the 655th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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Tonight is the first of the Cooking in Real Life dinners.
A full house.
Still two seats open for next Monday.
Here are the details:
COOKING IN REAL LIFE
If you:
Like food but work full time and
Live independently and/or
Have no one at home to prepare your meals and
Must budget time and money,
Dom’s “Cooking in Real Life,” classes are tailored for you.
The event is four hours.
During that time we will prepare together a four-course meal, typically:
Antipasto
Pasta
Meat
Cheese with Fruit
Water and wine will be served.
For safety sake, wine will be limited to three glasses per participant.
Vegan alternatives will be discussed and enough food available for vegans to enjoy.
Discussion is ongoing, including during the dinner preparation as well as at the dinner table.
The cost per person is $125.00, food and wine included.
Class size is limited to the size of our table.
Reserve a place by emailing Dom at domcapossela@hotmail.com
with “Sign me up” in the subject line.
We will respond shortly thereafter, certainly within the next twenty-four hours.
Some topics we will cover are:
Where do we start?
Where do we shop?
Food market sales.
Analyzing meals by considering their cost and ease of preparation.
Integrating lunch prep with dinner prep, saving time and money while controlling your diet.
Fixes to easily transform ‘not as good as the first day’ leftovers into a shiny new meal.
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1.0 Lead Picture
Bracket on ceiling at chapel, Greenwich Hospital, London
Daniel Case - Own work
See 11.0 Thumbnail for more details
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2.0 Commentary
On Sunday night I unwrapped my knee.
Despite the excellent job the medical-wrapped bandage was doing, I needed a real shower.
The knee looked predictably injured, a large clot of blood being the most noteworthy aspect, the clot to stay until Friday when the NP will take out the stitches,
While the pain is down, it’s still a ten on a scale of twenty, noteworthy.
The worst part of the pain is its ability to keep me from sleeping.
I haven’t slept well since the accident.
Naps. We praise naps in our commentaries. Keep us alive, I think.
In terms of usability, while the limp is still apparent, my walk has certainly improved.
Enough of that.
Tonight is the first of the Cooking in Real Life classes, full tonight, still two spaces open for next week.
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4.0 Chuckles/Thoughts
"Now, I don't see color.
People tell me I'm white and I believe them because police officers call me 'sir'."
~ Stephen Colbert
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5.0 Mail
We love getting mail.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
This from my dear cousin, Linda H.
Hi Cousin,
I'm not on computer much nowadays so I'm so far behind on reading emails. I thought I would try to help Ann H.
One of my problems (this past year) was a fall (imbalance issues) and landed in ER for 28 hours. I developed vertigo so I was sent to Fyzical (in N.Andover).
They performed the Epley maneuver on me five times and my vertigo is gone. (This was the second time I had vertigo from a fall.)
I was not able to go for treatment right away due to other family problems but after four months tolerating vertigo to have it 'cured' I felt like a new person!
Check out the Epley maneuver on google.
It is named after the doctor.
Hope there is a location near her.
She will need a referral from her pcp.
(I attend classes at the senior citizen (Brain & Balance) to help prevent me from falling again. Love it!)
Have a great day, cousin!
If Ann does go for treatment at Fyzical and vertigo leaves her, hopefully you will post an update.
Caio,
cousin Linda
Web Meister responds:
Thank you so much for sharing, my dear.
So glad it worked out for you.
Our readers will be happy for the advice.
And I will follow through.
Love
Dom
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
Pork chops are served for dinner tonight.
With an Asian Brush: fresh ginger, garlic, and scallions sautéed in sesame oil, the oil then seasoned with cumin, curry, ginger, and onion, the marinade brushed over the chops as they go in for a slow-roast prior to the very quick pan-fry deglazed with hot cherry peppers.
Yumms.
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11.0 Thumbnails
In architecture, a bracket is a structural or decorative member that attaches a smaller object to a larger one.
It projects from a wall, usually to carry weight and sometimes to strengthen an angle.
and consoles are types of brackets. This picture shows a classical decorative bracket, attaching the base of a balcony to the walls of the chapel at Greenwich Hospital, London. The plasterwork was created by hand in situ by the eminent stuccoist John Papworth.
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8.0 Video
Although I feel technologically equipped and ready to go, the knock to my knee has quieted me and I need to wait several more days before I make the plunge. Sorry.
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It’s Monday, January 20, 2020.
Welcome to the 654th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead PictureThis is the front cover art for the book The Lord of the Rings written by J. R. R. Tolkien.
The book cover art copyright is believed to belong to the publisher or the cover artist, Pauline Baynes.
For more information see 11.0 Thumbnail in this section
2.0 Commentary
It’s been fifteen years: fifteen years since I last read “Lord of the Rings.”
And I’d forgotten how absolutely wonderful a read it is.
My knee heals apace.
I can bend it enough to put on my shoes and socks.
So much concern.
Thank you all.
Friday the stitches come out.
Despite the very cold days passing us, I remain still sanguine about the weather.
Looking ahead to January 28, no bitter cold, no significant precipitation on the horizon.
That takes us to the end of January, all in all an okay winter so far.
And in two and a half weeks thereafter comes Valentine’s Day, for me the watershed of the winter: the days now noticeably longer and just two weeks left to the last truly winter’s month.
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4.0 Chuckles/Thoughts
"A new survey out says 64 percent of Americans own a smartphone.
Which is interesting because in a related survey, 100 percent of smart phones say they own an American."
~Jimmy Fallon
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7. “Conflicted” podcast
Conflicted, by Dom Capossela, is a spiritual/fantasy story about a sixteen-year-old mystic-warrior conflicted internally by her self-imposed alienation from God, her spiritual wellspring, and, externally, by the forces of darkness seeking her death or ruination.
Today, Chapter Sixteen sees Lindsay Jean settled in the hospital and Dee and Phillip develop their relationship.
in next week to Chapter Seventeen when Phillip realizes the depth of Dee’s powers and the two profess their love.
And when the girls rush Lainie to the hospital and are devastated by the findings of the medical staff.
Here’s the link:
https://soundcloud.com/user-449713331
The podcasts are also available on Sound Cloud, iTunes, Stitcher, Pinterest, Pocket Cast, and Facebook.
Search: dom capossela or conflicted or both
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11.0 Thumbnails
The Lord of the Rings is an epic high-fantasy novel written by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien.
The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 fantasy novel The Hobbit, but eventually developed into a much larger work. Written in stages between 1937 and 1949, The Lord of the Rings is one of the best-selling novels ever written, with over 150 million copies sold.
The title of the novel refers to the story's main antagonist, the Dark Lord Sauron, who had in an earlier age created the One Ring to rule the other Rings of Power as the ultimate weapon in his campaign to conquer and rule all of Middle-earth.
From quiet beginnings in the Shire, a hobbit land not unlike the English countryside, the story ranges across Middle-earth, following the course of the War of the Ring through the eyes of its characters, most notably the hobbits Frodo Baggins, Sam, Merry and Pippin.
Although generally known to readers as a trilogy, the work was initially intended by Tolkien to be one volume of a two-volume set, the other to be The Silmarillion, but this idea was dismissed by his publisher.
For economic reasons, The Lord of the Rings was published in three volumes over the course of a year from 29 July 1954 to 20 October 1955.
The three volumes were titled The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King.
Structurally, the novel is divided internally into six books, two per volume, with several appendices of background material included at the end.
Some editions combine the entire work into a single volume.
The Lord of the Rings has since been reprinted numerous times and translated into 38 languages.
Tolkien's work has been the subject of extensive analysis of its themes and origins. Although a major work in itself, the story was only the last movement of a larger epic Tolkien had worked on since 1917, in a process he described as mythopoeia.
Influences on this earlier work, and on the story of The Lord of the Rings, include philology, mythology, religion and the author's distaste for the effects of industrialization, as well as earlier fantasy works and Tolkien's experiences in World War I.
Lord of the Rings in its turn is considered to have had a great effect on modern fantasy; the impact of Tolkien's works is such that the use of the words "Tolkienian" and "Tolkienesque" has been recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary.
The enduring popularity of The Lord of the Rings has led to numerous references in popular culture, the founding of many societies by fans of Tolkien's works, and the publication of many books about Tolkien and his works.
The Lord of the Rings has inspired, and continues to inspire, artwork, music, films and television, video games, board games, and subsequent literature.
Award-winning adaptations of The Lord of the Rings have been made for radio, theatre, and film.
In 2003, it was named Britain's best novel of all time in the BBC's The Big Read.
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It’s Sunday, January 19, 2020.
Welcome to the 653rd consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Panorama of Turin, with the Mole Antonelliana and the Alps, from Monte dei Cappuccini
Hpnx9420 - Own work
Turin seen from monte dei cappuccini
For more information, see 11.0 Thumbnails below.
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2.0 Commentary
Fear.
Not terrifying, release of urine fear, but real.
Because he was different?
Because I didn’t want my incompetency to cause him hurt?
Cause me hurt?
Fear of delaying my trip?
Of insulting his independence?
Of the simple fear of addressing a stranger?
Perhaps a cocktail of all the above.
An MBTA employee helped him onto the steps of the trolley where he stayed as the doors closed.
Where I had moved to, Government Center, the next stop., my stop.
His, too, I’m guessing.
The trolley started up, this to be a short ride, decide.
“Do you need help getting down?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Well, I’ll step down with you.”
“Thank you.”
“Do you want to hold my arm?”
“Yes. That would be nice.”
“Where are you going when you get off the trolley?”
“I need to take the Blue Line to Bowdoin.”
“I’m going there, too.”
“Where are you going?”
“To Aquarium.”
“The opposite direction.”
“Yes. But I can walk you down the stairs to the platform.”
Which I did.
On the way, we had a short, interesting conversation: where do you work?
He works at City Hall in an office at Bowdoin Square, senior staff there.
He was born in Dorchester.
Our trains arrived at the same time.
The moment reinforced my penchant for getting involved.
I hope reduced my overall fear of the different.
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4.0 Chuckles/Thoughts
I can't believe there are so many people who aren't us.
~Jimmy Fallon
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11.0 Thumbnails
Turin is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy.
It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865.
The city is located mainly on the western bank of the Po River, in front of Susa Valley, and is surrounded by the western Alpine arch and Superga Hill.
The population of the city proper is 875,698 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 1.7 million inhabitants.
The Turin metropolitan area is estimated by the OECD to have a population of 2.2 million.
The city has a rich culture and history, being known for its numerous art galleries, restaurants, churches, palaces, opera houses, piazzas, parks, gardens, theatres, libraries, museums and other venues.
Turin is well known for its Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Neo-classical, and Art Nouveau architecture.
Many of Turin's public squares, castles, gardens and elegant palazzi such as the Palazzo Madama, were built between the 16th and 18th centuries.
A part of the historical center of Turin was inscribed in the World Heritage List under the name Residences of the Royal House of Savoy.
In addition, the city is home to museums such as the Museo Egizio and the Mole Antonelliana which in turn hosts the Museo Nazionale del Cinema.
Turin's attractions make it one of the world's top 250 tourist destinations and the tenth most visited city in Italy in 2008.
The city also hosts some of Italy's best universities, colleges, academies, lycea and gymnasia, such as the University of Turin, founded in the 15th century, and the Turin Polytechnic.
Turin is well known as the home of the Shroud of Turin, the football teams Juventus F.C. and Torino F.C., and as host of the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Conflicted, by Dom Capossela, is a spiritual/fantasy story about a sixteen-year-old mystic-warrior conflicted internally by her self-imposed alienation from God, her spiritual wellspring, and, externally, by the forces of darkness seeking her death or ruination.
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7. “Conflicted” podcast
Today, Chapter Sixteen sees Lindsay Jean settled in the hospital and Dee and Phillip develop their relationship.
Log in next week to Chapter Seventeen when Phillip realizes the depth of Dee’s powers and the two profess their love.
And when the girls rush Lainie to the hospital and are devastated by the findings of the medical staff.
Here’s the link:
https://soundcloud.com/user-449713331
The podcasts are also available on Sound Cloud, iTunes, Stitcher, Pinterest, Pocket Cast, and Facebook.
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