http://snozzefactor.gather.com Recent Articles on Gather by David Rochester en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 03:37:35 GMT 2010-01-08T03:37:35Z en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 http://www.gather.com/images/header/logo_gather.gif http://www.gather.com/ http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977789367 This evening I very nearly had a crisis of the worst kind … a Cheese Crisis.  Often I will have  a salad for dinner, and I like to dress it with a couple of tablespoons of plain 25-yr . . . Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:49:56 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977789367 David Rochester 2009-08-27T01:49:56Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977723365 1) This week I acquired two excruciating copyediting projects, both of which I considered turning down; but then I realized I couldn’t bypass the $1200 I’ll make by suffering through them, . . . Sun, 28 Jun 2009 03:37:26 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977723365 David Rochester 2009-06-28T03:37:26Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977721886 Today I gave a listing presentation to a man who called three realtors, of whom I was one, to give a price opinion on his house.  He didn’t like the price I came up with.  This was part . . . Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:26:03 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977721886 David Rochester 2009-06-26T04:26:03Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977716283 One of the unique features of the POD publishing company I work for is that the author is assigned a personal representative upon deposit of a nominal fee.  When I’m not editing, I am in . . . Sat, 20 Jun 2009 03:24:44 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977716283 David Rochester 2009-06-20T03:24:44Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977711409 1) There’s a very good reason why people don’t normally give housewarming birthday wakes.  Wakewarming days.  Birthwakewarmings?  Birthhousewakes?  Anyway — I recommend . . . Mon, 15 Jun 2009 05:20:23 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977711409 David Rochester 2009-06-15T05:20:23Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977704383 I spent this morning babysitting for Elissa's daughter Charlotte, who is now two and a half.  The last time I babysat her, she was still more or less preverbal.  Now she's a real live toddler . . . Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:29:02 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977704383 David Rochester 2009-06-08T00:29:02Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977697705 The following is a conversation I just had with my mother.   Her:  I saw a really weird dog today. Me:  Oh?  What was weird about it? Her:  Well, it was a Dalmatian, but . . . Mon, 01 Jun 2009 05:27:33 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977697705 David Rochester 2009-06-01T05:27:33Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977693750 1) Driving away from the gas station while the attendant is still in the act of washing your back window.  This is both dangerous and ungrateful, and also inconvenient, since you'll now have to go . . . Thu, 28 May 2009 03:35:41 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977693750 David Rochester 2009-05-28T03:35:41Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977612807 - The medicine chest/bathroom cabinet This crucial storage article simply has to be rearranged to present its owner in the best possible light.  Now, I'm not saying I think that the object . . . Tue, 03 Mar 2009 08:13:23 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977612807 David Rochester 2009-03-03T08:13:23Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977601156 Readers of this blog have suffered graciously through countless whinging stories about my miserable childhood.  This is an anecdote about something kind someone did for me, and which I remembered . . . Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:53:22 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977601156 David Rochester 2009-02-20T19:53:22Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977595141 Portrait #1 Him: (sidling up to her and putting his arm around her, speaking in nauseating "cutesy" voice)  Honey, it's Valentine's Day! Her:  No, actually, that's . . . Sun, 15 Feb 2009 06:16:12 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977595141 David Rochester 2009-02-15T06:16:12Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977593968 Yesterday I went to see Coraline with my friend Russ (who sometimes comments here as "David's Friend Russ") and I have to say, it's a remarkable film ... though I might say that it . . . Fri, 13 Feb 2009 23:51:28 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977593968 David Rochester 2009-02-13T23:51:28Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977588983 1)  Over the weekend I had an enjoyable sojourn in the fair city of Eugene, whence I journeyed for the purpose of attending Eugene Opera's Il trovatore .  It was hilarious.  The opera . . . Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:26:29 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977588983 David Rochester 2009-02-09T16:26:29Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977581061 Yesterday I went to see a film in a Major Chain Theater, which is something I normally avoid like the plague.  I remembered one source of my plague-avoidance once I was seated, and was subjected . . . Sun, 01 Feb 2009 04:19:08 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977581061 David Rochester 2009-02-01T04:19:08Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977579090 Today's post is not a post so much as it is a query to my readers. A fellow came into my office today to give a presentation to the brokers about a promotional gift we could buy at discount to . . . Fri, 30 Jan 2009 01:33:45 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977579090 David Rochester 2009-01-30T01:33:45Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977575249 Some of you may be aware that my father is my business partner.  Some may also be aware that my father is probably the most irritating person who has ever set foot on Earth's surface.  . . . Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:58:40 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977575249 David Rochester 2009-01-26T16:58:40Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977571289 1) Last night when I came home, Little Liu the Weasel Fiend was very quiet and pensive, sitting by herself in a dark room.  I queried her at length about her health and state of mind, and confirmed . . . Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:18:34 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977571289 David Rochester 2009-01-22T15:18:34Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977567494 I was tagged by the estimable Dame Ruth Dickson to confess four things I've been wrong about.  This is galling, but I'll do it. 1) I didn't think we would actually elect a black . . . Mon, 19 Jan 2009 02:28:27 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977567494 David Rochester 2009-01-19T02:28:27Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977564744 Quite some time ago, I mentioned that I have a client who bears an astonishing resemblance to racecar driver Danica Patrick .  Her home purchase closed a couple of days ago, after a series of roadblocks . . . Fri, 16 Jan 2009 06:29:02 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977564744 David Rochester 2009-01-16T06:29:02Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977561545 As some of you may already be aware, I happen to own the world's most beautiful cat.  She is a sepia snow leopard Bengal named Daria P. Olka-Dot Pants.  Daria is ridiculously gorgeous, in . . . Tue, 13 Jan 2009 02:30:05 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977561545 David Rochester 2009-01-13T02:30:05Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977556728 1) Occasionally, the UPS delivery guy will put a package underneath my doormat, rather than simply leaving it on the porch.  I cannot imagine what makes him think the package is less conspicuous . . . Thu, 08 Jan 2009 04:54:41 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977556728 David Rochester 2009-01-08T04:54:41Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977552944 Last night while I was sitting in my office, minding my own business, having a nice cup of coffee and doing a little research about the appearance of the Seven Dials crossroads in 1880s London, I heard . . . Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:49:40 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977552944 David Rochester 2009-01-04T17:49:40Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977550619 I've been thinking a lot lately about intimate relationships, and what makes them work, and what makes them not work, and whether I'll ever have one, and whether I really want one, or if I would . . . Thu, 01 Jan 2009 23:59:17 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977550619 David Rochester 2009-01-01T23:59:17Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977547042 My slow business, the delay in starting my new supplemental job, and the weather have all conspired to give me more time than usual to read, and I've read a few books in the past ten days.  . . . Sun, 28 Dec 2008 20:23:39 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977547042 David Rochester 2008-12-28T20:23:39Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977544121 1) Continuing the tradition of Rochester family disaster, today my mother sucked up a decaying rat carcass in her Shop-Vac, whilst cleaning the basement.  She has no idea how a rat got in her basement, . . . Wed, 24 Dec 2008 06:19:06 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977544121 David Rochester 2008-12-24T06:19:06Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977542811 As a happy preparation for the holidays, these three events have occurred over the past couple of days. 1) On Friday, before the snow hit, I got a call from a young out-of-town couple who were sitting . . . Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:54:32 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977542811 David Rochester 2008-12-22T20:54:32Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977541333 1) I just finished reading Prater Violet by Christopher Isherwood, and cannot recommend it highly enough.  It is very short, a novella really, and it is a masterpiece.  Isherwood has the curious . . . Sun, 21 Dec 2008 01:52:31 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977541333 David Rochester 2008-12-21T01:52:31Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977539761 We've been having some unusually severe weather here in Portland, with snow and ice (very rare for us, in our rainforest-esque climate).  On Monday, we had a great deal of wind, and my power . . . Fri, 19 Dec 2008 06:53:20 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977539761 David Rochester 2008-12-19T06:53:20Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977537500 Here are some of the ways the poor misguided souls on the Internet are finding this site recently.   how can someone tell if they have lived     Seems to me a heartbeat . . . Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:00:07 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977537500 David Rochester 2008-12-17T00:00:07Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977533171 This evening I went to the ballet - to see The Nutcracker.   I've never actually seen it onstage, and the novelty of that was pleasant.  I had a fine time, and was pleased to spend a few . . . Fri, 12 Dec 2008 06:43:34 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977533171 David Rochester 2008-12-12T06:43:34Z