-
Lost in Translation: Misadventures Through France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Beyond
Back when the world was still vaguely sensible and living in England, I decided to take a proper road trip. Not one of those dull “fly somewhere, rent a car” getaways. No, this was the real deal—Hampshire to the Netherlands, with a bit of France, Belgium, and an accidental detour into Germany. Because, as always,…
-
Into the Appalachian Twilight: A Story of Excitement, Panic, and A Bad GPS- A trip back to Indy Part-1
By a man who just wanted to visit his sister but apparently signed up for West Virginia’s “Worst Roads and Existential Crises” tour. Years ago, I used to drive from Virginia to Indiana once a week. Like clockwork. Didn’t even need directions. Just coffee, an audiobook, and the vague hope that the car wouldn’t explode.…
-
Bumper to Bumper with Buffoons: A Driver’s Rant
By someone who used to be chill, but then you parked like a clown. I’ve been watching people lately—just sitting back and observing the slow-motion car crash we call “society”—and I can’t decide whether the world is spiraling into the abyss, or if I’m simply becoming a grumpier, less tolerant version of myself. It used…
-
When Cool Peaked and Never Came Back
GenX or as I’d like to say it, Gen Us— wasn’t just a generation—it was an 18-wheeler doing a burnout in the parking lot of history while Rock Ballads blasted through the tape deck. It was loud, proud, and occasionally covered in glitter and neon zebra print. Everybody—and I mean everybody—was there. Michael Jackson was…
-
Driven Mad: A Life in Cars
You know how it is with people and cars. Some folks couldn’t care less—as long as it’s got four wheels and doesn’t explode every Tuesday, they’re happy. To them, it’s just a box to get from A to B without getting arrested. Others? They treat cars like rolling symphonies. Every curve is sculpture. Every exhaust…
-
Airport Survival Guide: Cry Quietly and Carry On
The airport. A monument to mankind’s ability to take something majestic—flight, freedom, the sheer glory of defying gravity—and turn it into a sort of bureaucratic cattle prod run by people who think “urgent” is a type of seasoning. Let’s start with getting there. You set off three hours early, because apparently, even though your flight…
-
DIY: Why My Toolbox Now Includes a First Aid Kit
People are obsessed with DIY these days. Why? I am not sure but I’ve some idea on why they do it. For some, it’s a fun hobby. For others, it’s therapy, their way of unwinding, and relaxing. But for the rest of us? It’s a fast track to the ER and a drawer full of…
-
A Jubilee, a Corr, and a Cold Goodbye
February 2017, London. Cold, damp, and everything was wrapped in that stubborn, bone-chilling English gray. It was the sort of chill that could freeze tea right in the kettle. So naturally, I thought, “What better time for a nostalgia walk?” There I was, hoofing it down the Mall, past Buckingham Palace, when I realized the…
-
Signals, Screams, and a Bulb That Just Wouldn’t Go In
Back in my days working for the famed British Railways—now rebranded as Network Rail, presumably to make it sound more modern and efficient, which, let’s be honest, is a bit like renaming a donkey “Lightning” and expecting it to win the Kentucky Derby—I had what can only be described as a classic railway experience. It…
-
Morning Habits (or How I Became Marginally Less Useless Before 8 AM)
A masterclass in doing the bare minimum before breakfast. Waking up earlier — right, here’s the thing: it’s miserable. At first, I didn’t so much get up as lurk in bed, lying there like a wounded seal for 5 or 10 minutes, mentally preparing myself for the Herculean task of standing up. It was a…
-
The Wild, the Weird, and the Wonderfully West Virginian
January 2013. I rolled into Lewisburg, West Virginia, at precisely 8 PM after a long but admittedly beautiful drive from Pennsylvania. It was the kind of drive that makes you feel like you’re in an advert for winter tires—curving roads, mountains, light snow, and just enough loneliness to feel dramatic but not suicidal. First impressions?…
-
The Modern World is Bonkers, and I’ve Had Enough
By a thoroughly fed-up citizen with a decent grasp of reality… Sort of. Our neighborhood is the kind of place where you’d half expect to see a watercolor painter on every corner. It’s peaceful, leafy, and delightfully boring in the best way—until, that is, some cretin in a beat up car comes barreling down the…
-
Flying: The Sky’s the Limit, Sanity Optional
Flying used to be glamorous. I’m talking about the golden age—suits, silk ties, champagne served by flight attendants with teeth so perfect they could light up a runway. It was the Concorde, it was Pan Am, it was James Bond having a Vodka Martini “shaken, not stirred”. Now? It’s not travel. It’s airborne livestock logistics.…
-
Nature, Noise, and Nostalgia: A Walk Through Deep Run Park
You ever take a walk just for the sake of walking? No destination, no ticking clock, just you and the great wide somewhere? That’s how my mornings usually start at Deep Run Park, with my little four-legged philosopher buddy. He’s got this whole meditation thing down—sniffing at every tree like he’s deciphering ancient scrolls, leaving…
-
Officer, I Swear This All Makes Sense
Years ago, back when I was working for one of the big railroads – and let me tell you, it’s exactly as glamorous as it sounds – I found myself piloting a big, lumbering SUV down I-85 South. I was leaving Virginia for North Carolina, a state with barbecue so good it could make a…
-
The lil Dog vs. The Arctic Wasteland
Walking through the frozen landscape of our neighborhood yesterday morning was like stepping onto the set of The Day After Tomorrow—except with fewer Hollywood stars and more chance of me slipping on an invisible ice patch and making a complete fool of myself. Everything was frozen solid. The trees looked like they’d been dipped in…
-
Winter in Richmond, VA
Well, here we are in Richmond, where winter’s cruel sense of humor is on full display. For weeks, we’ve waited, begged, and stared at the heavens like expectant children hoping Santa would drop a dusting of white magic upon our otherwise dreary January. And finally, yesterday, it happened—the glorious arrival of snow. Not just any…
-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
A Kings 