Cosmin didn’t like Christmas. He had enjoyed it a long time ago, back when he was younger and his beloved Grandma was still with us. They even attempted caroling at one point, but being Popescus, they quickly realized their limitations and ended up simply reading the words—plenty of feeling, but no singing. Last Christmas with…… Continue reading A Non-Hallmark Christmas Story
The End of An Era
Loving Memory of Bill The late October air was soft that year, the kind of days you find only in Arizona. At the St. Francis festival, Franciscan monks gathered to bless pets that people had brought to be consecrated. For those without a pet, there was no issue: you could adopt one right on the…… Continue reading The End of An Era
Living with Dogs – episode 122
At 5:56 AM, Baloo woke me with a gentle nose nudge and a firm shake of his head.By 5:57, I was out of bed.At 5:58, Baloo was in my spot, snoring like a lumberjack. Dog owner mystery of the universe: Why does a 100-pound dog feel like an antique dresser when he’s asleep on your…… Continue reading Living with Dogs – episode 122
Chicken Soup For …
Four or five days ago, we rummaged through the freezer to grab a few things and see what else was in there, a sort of mini-inventory. With practiced efficiency, we quickly eliminated what needed to be disposed of and went happily about the rest of our day. Two days later, A Dog Named Gicu (also known as The Little Prince of Mesa), was chewing on something near…… Continue reading Chicken Soup For …
Supă de pui
Acum vreo patru-cinci zile, am umblat la lada frigorifică să scoatem una-alta și să mai vedem ce mai era pe acolo. Am făcut un mini-inventar, am scos ce era de scos și ne-am văzut de treabă. După vreo două zile, #CâineleNumitGicu, Prințișorul din Mesa, molfăia ceva pe lângă congelator, sub atenta supraveghere a lui Baloo,…… Continue reading Supă de pui
Lost in Translation – II
It wasn’t until my second visit to The Perch – five years later – that I finally understood why we had to wait an hour for our food, and why, when it arrived, it tasted a bit off. I was wearing this shirt, and it turns out that The Perch is not only a brewery,…… Continue reading Lost in Translation – II
Diana Krall or the $35 Sleeping Pill
…She got right down to business, making fun of the many saguaros and other prickly plants in Phoenix (to prove, I guess, she actually knew where she was performing), sharing stories about her two sons, and making some absolutely unnecessary remarks about how hot it was outside. …
My Midlife Crisis
It started at 6:00 AM on August 6, 2009, after I drove my wife and mother-in-law to the airport for their three-week trip to the motherland. By 6:25 AM, I had my head perfectly shaved and was ready to take on the next adventure. I was considering buying a Harley or a red convertible with…… Continue reading My Midlife Crisis
The Great Cat Escape: A Funny Tale
Translated from Romanian (originally posted in January, 2011), in the memory of our beloved Bill, who crossed the rainbow bridge on October 22, 2024 One day, in the chilly Arizona morning air (a surprisingly cold 48F), while I was about to take the poor sick Lucy, our dog, out for her business, the door burst…… Continue reading The Great Cat Escape: A Funny Tale
An Englishman in Las Vegas: A Cultural Journey To Be
You can take a Popescu out of Romania, but you just can’t take Romania – or its old habits – out of a Popescu. So, we (Mom, Dad, Uncle, Auntie Lala, and Yours Truly) left for Vegas at 6 a.m., to beat the morning rush. Allegedly, the drive was supposed to take four and a half hours. Naturally, we made…… Continue reading An Englishman in Las Vegas: A Cultural Journey To Be
My Very Unique Sense of Humor
One It was the early 2000s, and the British company I was working for merged with a Wall Street Giant. They told us it was a “Merger between equals.” Maybe they kept me on the team because of my skills, or maybe because I was always working on weekends, who knows. Anyway, I ended up…… Continue reading My Very Unique Sense of Humor
9/11/2001
In early May of 1997, I received my first paycheck in the United States. I was very proud of it. I took my wife with me and we stopped at the first bank on the left, located on the lower concourse of the World Trade Center, to open an account. It was part of our…… Continue reading 9/11/2001
Umorul Meu Special
Unu Era începutul anilor 2000 și tocmai avusese loc Marele Merger între compania britanică la care lucram și un Gigant de pe Wall Street. Ne-au spus că era un “Merger between equals”. Poate că eram eu bun, poate că le plăcea că lucram și în weekend, dar m-au păstrat în echipă. Așa că am trecut…… Continue reading Umorul Meu Special
Grief Awareness Day
Today (August 30th) is National Grief Awareness Day. For me, this is called “every day”. I could write pages about grief, but if the last 18 months taught me something is that grief never ends and it’s uniquely personal. I learned to live with it, and even if sometimes I laugh or smile, it doesn’t…… Continue reading Grief Awareness Day
The Carpathian Master Driver, Romanian Edition
This post is an exercise in imagination and any resemblance to real characters is purely coincidental Once upon a time, there were two men, quite mature and in their sixties, the Carpathian Master Driver and his Companion. The companion’s name was Puffy. They decided to take the tar.dutch RE, hook it up to an Engine,…… Continue reading The Carpathian Master Driver, Romanian Edition
Doctor Cine din Carpați
Această postare este un exercițiu de imaginație și orice asemănare cu personaje reale este pur întâmplătoare Se făcea că erau doi bărbați, copți binișor, Doctor Cine și companionul. Pe companion îl chema Umflatu. Ce și-au zis ei, hai să luăm Tardisu, îl agățăm de Motor, și plecăm la drum. Așa era Tardisu la români, fără…… Continue reading Doctor Cine din Carpați
Dreams
Last night, I dreamed of Cosmin. It was the second dream in two years. In the first dream, he was with his ‘most beloved’ grandparents, and they were packing bags. Some bags, I didn’t know whose bags they were, maybe even mine. I was there too and I told them: “Pack only for yourselves, I’m…… Continue reading Dreams
Papa La Șoni – Partea 2
Două-trei zile mai târziu, a bătut ceasul de sâmbătă seara și ne-am strâns toți șase: patru adulți și doi copii, care copii nu știau precis ce vor, dar în nici un caz ce le pregătea Șoni. Și deci, pentru orice eventualitate, ei au zis “Nu vrem”. La prânz se dăduse drumul la ceaune și la…… Continue reading Papa La Șoni – Partea 2
LPSB – Little Plastic Shopping Bags
For half of the return flight, I explained to an American woman, who was around the same age as me, about the “plastic shopping bag syndrome,” a common phenomenon among Romanians. This involves carrying lots of bags with more bags stuffed inside. The more sophisticated Romanians, however, have graduated to the “plastic food containers” syndrome.…… Continue reading LPSB – Little Plastic Shopping Bags
Visuri
Azi noapte l-am visat pe Cosmin. Al doilea vis în doi ani. În primul vis, se făcea că era cu Bunicii lui ‘cei mai iubiți’, și făceau bagaje. Niște bagaje, nu știm ale cui. Poate chiar ale mele. Eram și eu acolo și le spuneam: “faceți bagaje doar pentru voi, eu nu vin.” “Nu, nu,…… Continue reading Visuri
Nea Fane - Un Biet Român Pripășit în America / A Hapless Romanian Stuck in The US 