Category Archives: Life is Interesting

Signs can be weird, movies can be weird, the deli-counter at any Martin’s is always weird. Sometimes Life works in mysterious and melancholy ways.

The Inspiration for Romeo and Juliet. Which is not the Greatest Love Story Ever.

Posted on May 31, 2018 by Austin Gisriel

Martha and I recently attended the wedding of very good friends and upon the conclusion of the reception we were given a blue book with a carved cover by the bride who asked us to record some wise words about … Continue reading →

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The Chipmunks vs. Chuck Berry

Posted on May 11, 2018 by Austin Gisriel

Most people probably think of the song, “In the Mood,” as a quintessential, maybe the quintessential song of the Swing Era, yet it was played only once by any of the five bands that I heard at the recent Big … Continue reading →

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Happy Feet & Joyful Hearts

Posted on April 30, 2018 by Austin Gisriel

This past weekend, I had the great pleasure of attending a family reunion in York, PA. Actually, the “family reunion” was the Big Swing Thing, a celebration of swing music and dancing at the Valencia Ballroom, and the only person … Continue reading →

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On Guard

Posted on April 12, 2018 by Austin Gisriel

I was watching an old Western recently, I think it was called, Battle at Feather Creek. Maybe it was Feather at Battle Creek . . . No, that one’s about a pillow maker in Michigan . . . No, it … Continue reading →

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Taking it All to Heart

Posted on March 18, 2018 by Austin Gisriel

I mentioned at the end of yesterday’s post that there is a definite emotional component to having heart-surgery. I could write at length about several strong emotions that I have experienced already, but one is fully formed. That I was … Continue reading →

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A Heart-felt Week

Posted on March 17, 2018 by Austin Gisriel

Well. This has been an interesting week. On Tuesday morning, an incredibly skilled surgeon, Dr. Vinay Badhwar, was snipping at a floppy flap in my heart using a robot, then placing a titanium ring around the problematic valve to keep … Continue reading →

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Hearts and Hours

Posted on February 18, 2018 by Austin Gisriel

The last night I spent in a hospital was early March of 1957. I checked out of my mother and into the hospital on March 1st of that year and I’ve never been back since. That streak is about to … Continue reading →

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Don’t Nail Your Laptop Battery In Place

Posted on February 8, 2018 by Austin Gisriel

I recently bought a replacement battery for my laptop and I happened to glance through a small foldout entitled, User Manual. There, I came across some admonitions that I did not think needed to be put in writing, chief among … Continue reading →

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Repost This Or Else

Posted on January 29, 2018 by Austin Gisriel

Keeping in touch with friends through Facebook is one of life’s little pleasures. Among life’s great irritants are the Facebook posts that demand I repost something as my status or else I am not a true friend; or I am … Continue reading →

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Musical Harassment

Posted on January 12, 2018 by Austin Gisriel

I read in the paper recently that the song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” has come under heavy criticism for what some consider its promotion of sexual harassment. An Internet search reveals that the debate over this song, written in 1944 … Continue reading →

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