I had the kitchen to myself today. Since I was gone this weekend and it turned out to be one of the busiest of the year at the restaurant, I worked today so the others could have a day off. I got to the Inn about 10:15 am and left around 10:15 pm, with a…

Farrier was the word on the way to Birmingham; pedorthics was the word on the way home: “the art concerned with the design, manufacture, fit, and modification of foot appliances as prescribed for relief of painful or disabling conditions of the foot.” On the flight from Atlanta to Manchester, I sat next to a woman…

I want to take time to mention three culinary-related adventures during my short visit to Irondale, Alabama. The Irondale Cafe is better known as “The Whistlestop” because of the movie Fried Green Tomatoes, which they serve when in season. I went for the fried catfish and hushpuppies this time around. The Krystal. (In this part…

Not long after I finished writing yesterday, I boarded the plane for Birmingham and sat down next to a big guy from Moody, Alabama, which is not far from Irondale, where my in-laws live. He was ready to talk. Usually, I sit down and fall asleep when I get on a plane, but this time…

When I was a kid, I loved to fly. Heck, for most of my life that’s been true. There’s always been a certain romance to getting on a plane and crossing a continent or an ocean in a matter of hours. When we lived in Zambia, we used to drive out to the airport in…

For the first time in about four months, I have four days off in a row. I’m flying to Birmingham tomorrow to meet Ginger and hang out with my in-laws and go to a family reunion (well, at least part of the family – Ginger’s cousins are all over that country); I come back on…

I was heading to church tonight for the “Affluenza” class when I hit a big rock or piece of curb stone or something along the edge of the road in the town center. I felt it. My right front tire sort of skipped. I kept going. About a half a mile from the church, I…

I brushed up against a dream today but nothing happened. No, that’s not true. About three weeks ago, the manager at the Inn asked me to make a proposal to run the Bakery, which could be a really cool breakfast and lunch coffee house kind of place. I can see it. I worked hard on…

One of the first scripture verses I learned was, “I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’” Actually, it was a song we sang in Sunday School or VBS – that detail I don’t recall. The verse came back to me as I sat down to…

For the month of November, Ginger and I are writing down everything we spend so we can get a good picture of where our money goes. (All of a sudden, all I can hear in my head is Robert Palmer singing, “She’s so fine, there’s no telling where the money went.”) It was her suggestion,…