Small Town Stuff
Our Town – November 21, 2013
The Soupster learns it can be hard to stay true to your emotions. When Carole left her seaside cottage, she felt good. Actually she felt angry, but she felt good about feeling angry. Carole was healthy, pretty, lucky, sweet and well-off. Many would say her life was perfect and Carole would agree with them. If…
Read MoreOur Town – March 28, 2013
Is there such a thing as too much help?
Read MoreOur Town – August 23, 2012
After enduring a somewhat sketch marriage in her twenties, 34-year-old Annie was basically glad she had the romantic gumption to follow her heart and a charismatic fisherman to Our Town. But it gnawed at her that she had left a job as a retail store manager and could not find the equivalent employment here. Especially…
Read MoreOur Town – August 9, 2012
“I love this `Coast Guard Alaska’ show,” Zach said, sprawling in the magnificence of his basement man-cave. The Soupster generally avoided subterranean structures of any kind, but he had to admit Zach’s man-digs were powerfully comfy. Heavily stuffed chairs and a still more heavily stuffed couch. A wet bar, a microwave and a big stocked…
Read MoreOur Town – May 3, 2012
“Coffee delivery,” the Soupster announced, as he approached the four men sitting and standing outside Giant Gene’s auto shop. Indeed, he carried a cardboard holder with four paper cups. “You’re a good man,” Giant Gene told the Soupster, taking the holder and distributing the cups. Charlie, also called Red, raised his in salute. Billy, called…
Read MoreOur Town – April 5, 2012
“Soupster, are you crying?” asked Laine as she encountered him on a bench near the harbor. “Oh, just deep thoughts,” the Soupster admitted, wiping his cheek with the side of his hand. “I was just thinking about Clarence… and novels.” “OK,” Laine said, sitting down. “I’ve got a minute. Tell me what’s on the Soupster’s…
Read MoreOur Town – March 8, 2012
Originally Published March 6, 2003 The grocery store was packed. The Soupster had to walk sideways down the Canned Tomatoes aisle to pass the shopping carts parked on the left side and then the right. Unusual for Our Town, a long line of shoppers waited impatiently at the checkout stand. When the Soupster finally got to…
Read MoreOur Town – October 20, 2011
Originally published November 6, 2003 “I was saved, Soupster, but by which I do not know,” said Charles, a former college professor who now drank a lot of coffee. He had four tiny espresso cups arranged in front of him, two of them empty. The Soupster looked around. Besides the barrista, washing mugs out of…
Read MoreOur Town – October 6, 2011
“Soupster, you can’t practice medicine in this state,” said Linda, scratching furiously at the bug bite on the outside of her right calf. “But I’ve only had one glass of wine,” protested the Soupster. “I mean in Alaska!” Linda said. The Soupster brought over a cold pack from his freezer, an elastic bandage and a tube of…
Read MoreOur Town – June 16, 2011
“Lock your car,” said the old TV ad. “Take your keys. Don’t make a good boy go bad.”
The Soupster was proud that Our Town disproved the above. He was sure he was not the only person in town to regularly leave his car unlocked, which didn’t seem to be making good boys go bad.
Read MoreOur Town – March 24, 2011
Who’s Who in Our Town?! “One thing I really like about living in Our Town,” Marci said, “is that after a while you start knowing the people you see and seeing the people you know. A hello here and a wave there makes the place feel like one big backyard.” “Yeah, but not everyone likes…
Read MoreOur Town – March 12, 2009
The package delivery truck pulled away from Soup House and the Soupster cradled the box he had just received. He tried to sneak his package indoors, but was confronted by his nosy neighbor, who always came outside when a truck stopped anywhere near. ” It’s a Snuggie,” the Soupster admitted to Chesley, who had been…
Read More