As if you couldn’t tell from his jacked up truck with the little light on top, and the many fire fighter decals on the rear window. Never mind all the bumpersticker propaganda.

These little fellows are usually of slight build, and have a major inferiority complex. They get their validation from being a member of this group. (Typicly those who fit this niche I am describing, are not the average member of the firehall, they are the odd man out, the guy that hung around long enough that the other members of the Firehall felt that they must give the guy a badge or something, becuase it was clear that he was simply never going away.)

Whenever there is a fire in the town, avoid starting a conversation with the little guy, because he will start like this: ” So, did you hear about the big fire last night? I was there/I went in/I was at work when it started, and had to leave and race to get there/I saved the poodle…

-Ezra Hilyer 

I have also noticed that the grocery bills have come down about 20%, and that what we do eat seems more satisfying. Ami made a really nice Veggie Lasagna two nights ago, with a delicious white sauce, and plenty of black olives… Yum, Yum!!

I have been prepairing a plac e to start a garden next year, and so it will be even more needed now that we have embarked on this diet journey.

-Ezra Hilyer

Posted to: http://www.straypoetry.com

I go through these stages.. I started out with a backpack for my laptop (yes in those days it was a laptop) and my notebooks, manuals, books, camera, cell phone and assorted other things I need in my daily life. I picked the pack for function, and not form. It was an ugly black pack that was canvas and not well designed. It was baisicly a sack with shoulder straps.

After a year or so, I moved away from this, and for a much more professional appearance, I chose a subdued bag/messenger that I felt would serve me much better. I carried this bag for about 5 years, and it was fantastic. (I actually still have it, though it has been retired to serve as a tool bag for my electronics tools)

4 years ago, I found the Wenger Series of Backpacks. They were not like the old style backpacks, they were stylish, and very functional. Well built, and had lots of pockets to keep all of my gear organized. I have been carrying a Wenger pack for these 4 years now, and I have been quite happy with it.

Lately however, I have been thinking of going back to a messenger because my needs have changed. I used to have to carry along tons of things, but now that I have been working to simplify my life, and to eliminate the unnecessary things that I carry each day, I have noticed that one by one all those pockets that used to be wonderfully useful, have been emptied. As I sit here writing this, I see that about 50% of my pack is empty. This is more than anything, what is pushing me to abandon this large pack for a much more streamlined solution.

The Vaja Messenger bags seem to be just what the doctor ordered; they are well built, slim, and stylish. (one is pictured at the top of this post)

Although they are fairly expensive ~$250-$400 each, if I follow my previous time frame of averaging about 5 years to a bag/pack this is really not that much to ask. It is certainly cheaper than buying a $75 bag that falls apart each year.

I will have to evaluate much more, and come to a decision.

-Ezra Hilyer - http://www.straypoetry.com

It was a serial story site, where anyone could submit the next portion of the story. From just a small story beginning, the stories would balloon into large rambling tales that seemed to never end. I contributed to one in 1998 that was still going when the site finally shut down about 5 years ago.

It is sad that this old site is no longer in existence, it was wonderfully kept, and I enjoyed visiting, the stories were sometimes odd, but always entertaining.

I spoke to the once owner of the site, and though he said he was not interested in starting the site up again, perhaps one day.

-Ezra

For years, I have been overcome with clutter, and this saps away most of my inspiration, and creativity. I used to be able to create worlds on paper, and weave stories from nothing. My mind was free, and unfettered with life entanglements.

I miss that. I have always wanted to be more of a minimalist, but it is difficult to pull oneself free from all these things that pull me down, and so over the last few weeks, I have been steadily working to free myself from all this useless stuff.

I have been giving away, or throwing away all the stuff that I will never really use, and the stuff that I don’t need. My desk is slowly coming clear, and the piles of boxes around are getting less.

I feel free and relaxed when I get rid of stuff that has been hanging around for far too long. It is a fine line sometimes between that which you really don’t need, and that which you truly will need at a later date, so I am careful in what I keep, and what I throw.

I have also been thinking about some of the things that I do use from time to time, whether I use them enough to justify owning them. If I didn’t have them, I would not desire to have them, so should I keep or throw?

I have been paring down my clothes as well, with the idea of: Quality Over Quantity I would rather have 5 nice jeans, over 10 average ones, and a few with holes and tears.

-Ezra Hilyer -http://www.straypoetry.com

We went up to the house to get some much needed work done, and that required leaving my bike behind. I would love to have a bike carrier for the car, but as yet we don’t have one.

I can just stuff it in the trunk, but it is not the best soulution as it hangs out, and is not the most secure in there. The last thing I want is to have it fall out on the highway!!

Each time I go to work with pedal power, I feel more alive. My bike feels like a part of my own body.

-ezra

My hat on the pew. Lacking color, but full of data.

The venture will be called: “Lucidity Magazine” It will work in concert with the online site: www.luciditymagazine.com as well as have unique articles not found online.

The publication will start 1 January 2009, and will begin as a quarterly magazine, but with the hope that it will someday grow to monthly. The unique nature of this magazine from all others, is in the way it is written and compiled. Feeler letters will go out to all of the major colleges and universities all over the world with a call for submissions.

I hope to interest the thinkers of the world, and thereby to establish a global forum for the discussion of issues that have both global import, and those that are of such delicate nature that they can be aired no where else.

The site is now offline while I iron out some design issues, but please check back often.

-Ezra