It was the wrong season for whales. It was the wrong month for sea lions. The gulls only tolerated me and to be true, I enjoyed them only within my limited fascination for the inexplicable red spot on their yellow beaks. For the first 20 minutes, a lone brown pelican held my attention as it repeatedly wheeled over and anchovied point-first into a school unaware of summer vacation.
I was cabin cruising Pacifically with a friend. A pleasant sun, some wind, and water that peaked and curled like 
icing on a cakemaker’s masterpiece. Then the first symptoms appeared. Laughing into my Dos Equis, I guessed out loud that too much clean air could make a man dizzy, his knees a bit watery. I sat down and stared at the horizon, limply watching headache and nausea bobbing grimly across the deep, smelling my fear. Irrevocably, I released my beer and flopped down onto a deck cushion accustomed to human instability. I looked to my friend for help. He smiled wanly and ruddered right, turning the sun out of my face. He has a kind heart, but there was nothing else for him to do. I was seasick. Continue reading “Heave Ho and Up She Rises!”
By missing their last shot, tenth-seeded 
Today my four-year-old Mac G4 laptop began acting its age.
When 
In 1960, I sat on the floor, leaning against the wall, my feet thrust out, listening to Caltech’s