It’s been a few years since I read Pico Iyer’s Video Night in Kathmandu, so I’ve enjoyed working my way through the world’s “Lonely Places,” as Iyer puts it, in Falling Off the Map. Despite the fact that you don’t really want to walk the streets of North Korea (do you?) or find your way through the madness of Paraguay (”the real Parador”), Iyer’s prose seduces you into thinking you must. His recollections of the comedy of daily life in Bhutan and the genuine all-around good-guy spirit of the Aussies makes me glad those destinations are on my to-be-visited life list. And where is that life list, anyway? When I find the journal it’s hiding in, I’ll post it. Meanwhile, whether you’re an armchair traveler or a traveler (like me) in a state of perpetual anticipation of the next journey, find this book. And enjoy.

{published 2001, The Sportsman’s Guide}

The atmosphere is tense. We’ve hardly recovered from our morning expedition aboard a massive Asian elephant, where our mahout – the elephant’s trainer and lifelong companion – surprised us by giving chase after two rhinos through the dense underbrush. Now, over a steaming bowl of garlic soup, Malin has second thoughts about our next activity, the jungle walk.

“Lonely Planet says it’s pretty dangerous.” She frowns, looks at her boyfriend, Daniel. “People have died on this trip. Maybe we shouldn’t—”

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I felt pretty good this morning when my friend Phyllis mentioned she’d seen my letter to the editor published in the Ocala Star-Banner. Not that I’d been published, per se, but that I had an opportunity to make a comment in a public forum about one of my pet peeves: the rampant overdevelopment of Florida. Read the rest of this entry »

It took a little bit of detective work, but I’ve rounded up the books I’ve read thus far this year and put them together in My Reading List, a page that I’ll keep updated as I finish each book. I’ve always been a voracious reader, and even though I don’t have a lot of spare time, I manage to squeeze in reading when I’m waiting at doctor’s offices and for car repairs; when on airplanes, ferryboats, and buses; and of late, I’ve set aside a daily hour just to read as part of my stress reduction plan. I thought you might find the list interesting, and it’s a way for me to keep track of books so I don’t re-read them too frequently!

It’s wonderful when the clouds part and sunshine appears on a midsummer day, an unexpected treat in Central Florida during hurricane season. But tomorrow will be lovelier than most. Despite the fact that Valentine’s Day falls on February 14, I’ve always found July 14 to be more romantic. It’s in the numbers: 07-14. One becomes two. I’m betting the feeling will be even stronger next year, with the inherent symmetry of 07-14-07! So, spend some time with that special someone on this midsummer’s eve!