I spent some time with Dracula Sunday night at a local art center. He was so dashing and such an elegant gentleman in his fabulous cape. Then, with a wickedly sexy smile, he started teasing me by calling me “Buffy” and “Slayer” as terms of endearment. I was immediately mesmerized by his exotic charm and became moonstruck. I am now intensely compelled to explain why you should hang out with
The special understanding between people and the animals they love is timeless and enduring. Because of our ancient connections to the natural world, all cultures have animals they connect with on a psychic and spiritual level. Sometimes, the animals we most identify with and desire to control are the ones that move with beauty, speed, and enviable liberty. At other times, we keep company with animals that remind us of
Who says bigger is better? While most Americans seem to prefer the larger breeds—hunting dogs, guard dogs, herding dogs, and working dogs—I’m a cheerleader for companion breeds. And the smaller, the better. Why, I wonder, do they always come in last in the popularity contests? Is it a holdover from our rural history, when Timmy and Lassie were best pals on the farm? Is it tied to our bigger-is-better supersized
I was born in Colorado and know how to drive in bad weather, but over the last decade, I drove what might be the worst winter vehicle imaginable: a 1975 Datsun 280Z. Until recently, my year-round daily driver had been a two-seat, rear-wheel-drive sports car designed in the late 1960s. It was engineered in Japan to carve through turns like a rabid mongoose, ready to pounce and eviscerate the heavy
The restaurant was crowded with people on their lunch break. I found a table in the back and claimed it while my son, Mathew, got our drinks and food. There was a black man sitting at the table next to us. He nodded as I sat down and I returned the greeting. I was a little uncomfortable. He looked like he might be high and we were on one of
Over a year ago I converted from vegetarian to vegan. Since then I have had to explain my choice to countless people. Even after my explanation, many of them still seem perplexed about why I would refuse to eat meat. They treat veganism as a thing of mystery, as though those who freely adopt a different diet have decided to live silently with Buddhist monks on a mountaintop. Not all
