Our Town
Our Town – June 2, 2011
“I started Yoga last week,” Jan informed the Soupster, dipping a chunk of sourdough bread into a bowl of steaming chowder. “Thought I’d better get into shape for summer before it’s over,” she added with a chuckle.
“Manage to get yourself tied up in any knots?” the Soupster asked.
Read MoreOur Town – May 19, 2011
Our Town – May 5, 2011
Our Town – April 21, 2011
The Soupster mistook for a friend the stranger to Our Town he saw occupying a bench above the harbor. “You look just like him,” the Soupster apologized, when he got closer. “This guy you look like has lived in Our Town forever.” “I’m Richard Labb,” said the stranger, shaking the Soupster’s hand. “Visiting, er, Your…
Read MoreOur Town – April 7, 2011
Decorative tattoos for animals? the Soupster pondered as he walked on the Our Town downtown sidewalk. He had heard the identification tattoos that people put on their dogs and cats had blossomed into an art form. But the previous evening, he had witnessed the unseeable – a cat with the face of Celine Dion smiling…
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 10, 2011
“Great Caesar’s debit card!” said the Original Soupster, pushing away the computer keyboard, frustrated. “Fireweed scramble!” “Uncle,” said the Soupster. “Calm down. Just tell me what it is you’re trying to access.” “Access? What do you mean access?” said the Original Soupster. “Don’t give me that Greek plaster! Speak English!” The Soupster took a deep…
Read MoreOur Town – February 24, 2011
“’This weather – ‘taint fit for man nor beast,” the Soupster said, sitting down with his friend Abigail in a cozy corner of the café. Outside, where it was 30 degrees, hail rained down at 75 degrees, bouncing a few inches off the parking lot asphalt and car roofs. “I went through at least four…
Read MoreOur Town – February 10, 2011
Whenever the Soupster felt like an old timer, he’d run into someone like Gregor “GG” Gregorovich, whose mother descended from a long-time Our Town family. If there had been a Permanent Fund for the whole of GG’s life instead of just the last half of it, GG would have gotten his check every single year. He was born in his family’s house off Sawmill…
Read MoreOur Town – December 16, 2010
Marty the Tide Pool, Was a horizontal guy. With a mussel nose and a kelpish smile, and a gumboot for an eye.
Read MoreOur Town – December 2, 2010
“Nochoy gorshok!”* the Soupster heard a man’s excited voice on the other side of the stout door saying. “Pazhalusta!”** Then came short, sharp knocks.
The Soupster looked around in a panic. Where was he?
Read MoreOur Town – November 18, 2010
Greta, aged two, drooled onto the sitting Soupster’s left calf as she clung to him. Across the tidy living room of his friend’s house, Brandon-the-pre-teen regarded the Soupster with a suspicious boredom.
“Nice of you all to invite me for Thanksgiving,” the Soupster told Brandon, who grunted.
Read MoreOur Town – November 4, 2010
The knock on the Soupster’s door turned out to be Bob, the Soupster’s new neighbor, who wanted to borrow a flashlight. Bob needed to do some outdoor plumbing and, new to Our Town, he still felt uncomfortable about running electrical cords outside in the rain.
Read MoreOur Town – October 21, 2010
“Lon Struckhausen, that’s the silliest thing I’ve heard this week!” roared the Soupster.
“I know it sounds crazy, but my sweet Laura loves her little Schnitzel like he was her baby,” said Lon, picking up the receiver on his early touch-tone avocado-colored kitchen wall phone, while the Soupster sat at the kitchen table.
Read MoreOur Town – October 7, 2010
“Hi, neighbor Joan. How is life treating you?” “Soupster, I am fine but it is that time of year again.” “What time is that?” “Haven’t you ever noticed; when the rain gets serious and the light begins to fade many of the folks in Our Town start speaking gibberish.” “What are you talking about? A…
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