LIVE MUSIC 123 PLEASANT STREET: hosts ITMG presents Josh from NYC today; Netherlands, Two Moons, LOUTS Friday; Jakobs Ferry Stragglers, Dirty Grass Players, Lord of Lester Saturday; Funk You with Black Garlic Tuesday; Vista Collaborative Fighting Hunger in Almost Heaven Benefit Concert ...
Katie McDowell Back in February, I wrote about having a party for my senior rescue dog, Pops, to celebrate his being with us for a year. Now, we are marking our good fortune by the days. Because, for whatever reason, despite his being the sweetest soul on this Earth, the universe has seen fit to fill his mouth and face with tumors. And while we may, God willing, have weeks, it’s looking less and less likely that we will see it to our second anniversary. People like to say things like, “Well, when you adopted an older dog, you knew what you were getting into.” ...
I love fall. There’s just something about the crisp air and sunny-but-chilly days that motivates me. The fact that it always motivates me to want to do things that I have no interest in is beside the point. I don’t know why this happens, but it does, every year. At the very first sign of autumn, I start making plans for activities I will never actually take part in. “You know what would be cool? We should go all to a pumpkin patch,” I’ll announce over dinner. “No,” my companion will say, regardless of who it is. “Why not?” I’ll dejectedly ask. ...
There are times when I want to get out of my own head so badly, my skin crawls from the desire to shed it. The sensation is so palpable, so disquieting, uncomfortable and unpleasant, that, if I’m able, I will head directly for the shower, where I will stand under scalding hot water for as long as I can, to try to make it stop. If I’m not, then I mostly just have to get up and pace around until the urge to run screaming into the void passes — or at least lets up a little. After all, no matter where to go, there you are, right? Great! You’re outside! You’re still ...
For the three or so people who may have turned to this page last week specifically to read this column and wondered (hoped?) if perhaps I’d quit or gotten fired, the answer is no — I was simply away on vacation. Just a few days ago, I returned from a 10-day stint in Greece, spending time in Athens and on a couple of their less-touristy islands, Aegina and Hydra. After pulling 50- to 60-hour weeks for the last many months, it definitely provided a much-needed break, as well as an opportunity to visit a country to which I’ve never been. But I’m not going to write ...
There’s a short animation video that’s gone viral lately, titled “The Life of an Empath.” In it, we see an all-white figure as he goes about his day, encountering others who are experiencing some sort of trauma. All of these people have a portion of their bodies colored black — a darkness that is absorbed by the empath as he comforts them. By the end of his journey, each of the people left behind feels better, but the empath returns home filled entirely in ebony. That is, until he hugs his dog, and the gloom falls from them both. Start to finish, it runs only ...
