tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623882012-01-19T22:56:24.452-05:00Short Stories, Sagas and Tales from the RoadDrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.comBlogger7701100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-56311907334499285792011-06-01T16:20:00.001-04:002011-06-04T12:22:33.761-04:00

It's June and the summer hath arrived. Oh, and Truckin' is now nine years old. Wow? Nine.1. Cusco to Ollantaytambo to Augas Calientes by Paul McGuirePeople were streaming in all directions from all areas. A group of Peruvian guides, all short men around 5 feet in height with reddish brown skin in alpaca hats, had disembarked from what looked like a cattle car and two Peruvian rail workers at

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-33411457235734221542011-06-01T12:03:00.001-04:002011-06-04T12:15:20.375-04:00

By Paul McGuire © 2011The wake-up call was set for 4:30 -- that's AM, in the fucking morning -- a time when I'm usually winding down the night and going to sleep. I passed out around around Midnight after chewing on a Vicodin to help ease the throbbing headache that accompanied altitude sickness after my abrupt ascent into the 11,000+ zone.Our caravan had to ship out of Cusco no later than 6am if

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-67928179936866145332011-06-01T11:52:00.000-04:002011-06-04T12:01:04.054-04:00

By John G. Hartness © 2010Chapter 1I sensed him before I saw him. I always do. I was just sitting there, minding my own business, playing a little blackjack when I felt his presence over my right shoulder.“Hi, Lucky.”“Big A.”I hate that. He always has to go there right away. And he’s supposed to be subtle. Ass.“Been here long?” He asked.“A while. Playing a little cards. You?”“Well, you know me,

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-46912929784598849322011-06-01T11:33:00.000-04:002011-06-04T12:20:32.068-04:00

By Wolynski © 2009The Beatles are back, not that they ever went away, it’s just that there’s new, expensive Beatle product to be flogged to aging baby boomers.To a child growing up in communist Poland, the Beatles were everything. There was Lenin, Marx and Brezhnev staring grimly from posters everywhere, promising a life of desolation, but just beyond the horizon, there was John, Paul, George and

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-16329742315812747002011-06-01T11:31:00.000-04:002011-06-04T11:56:54.077-04:00

By Kent Coloma © 2011My favorite Beatles song is Norwegian Wood. I’d always liked it, but then I heard the song that one night at the UCLA party where we ran into Mike Fortner quite unexpectedly. His name isn’t really Mike. It’s David. His older sister was there too, and I can’t remember her name for some reason, even though she was one of those older girls that was always very sexy and memorable

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-44913035347774040852011-06-01T11:29:00.000-04:002011-06-04T11:55:29.231-04:00

By George Tate © 2011Pinto beans are the Mexican equivalent of the staple of life. Breath is the staple of life. Being able to focus and enjoy the simplicity of everyday things is the joy of living. You’re asking yourself where this bullshit is headed. I believe there is a Zen return to the Art of making a pot of beans. Breathe deeply and pour a fine glass of wine. Savor it and its flavor for the

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-68966451359658005462011-05-03T16:42:00.003-04:002011-05-04T19:51:51.142-04:00

Welcome to the May edition.... better late than never.1. Cusco by Paul McGuireThe tiny lady with the limp handed us cups of light greenish tea -- the infamous coca tea or coca matte. Instead of chewing coca leaves to help adjust to the altitude, we sipped the bitter tasting green tea. I eventually acquired a taste for what the locals subbed "Incan Red Bull"... More2. Cheers by John HartnessShe

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-25233281948177800162011-05-03T16:41:00.000-04:002011-05-03T16:42:13.799-04:00

By Paul McGuire © 2011I probably should have slept for more than an hour, but I wasn't thinking properly. I blame the decent bag of weed a friend of mine scored in Lima along with a steady flow of local beer Cusquena. Whenever I'm done with a work assignment in a foreign country, I partake in a tradition among my fellow reporters and stay up as late as possible partying, drinking, and gambling.

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-12580042733062995222011-05-03T16:40:00.002-04:002011-05-03T16:41:10.884-04:00

By John G. Hartness © 2011So I woke up hung over. Again. With no idea of where I was. Again. With a woman whose name I didn’t remember asleep on my arm. Again. This was getting to be a habit, one that wouldn’t be so bad if there was anything good to be said for it. So I slowly and gently slid my arm out from under my sleeping bedmate, trying like hell not to wake her, and started the search for

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-21038942644133551892011-05-03T16:40:00.001-04:002011-05-03T16:40:22.858-04:00

By Katitude © 2011When I woke up I had no idea what was coming.It was a wonderful September morning in New Hampshire. The kids were in school, the campgrounds were empty and the tourist traffic had almost disappeared. An ideal riding day.It had rained like God was trying to wash away our sins the day before and we managed to find a motel just before the Kankamagus Highway, one with a surprisingly

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-46713569653667927212011-05-03T16:37:00.000-04:002011-05-03T16:39:49.510-04:00

by Johnny Hughes © 2011When I was in the first grade, Niki Sullivan (one of the original Crickets with Buddy Holly) and his parents lived with my family in a very small house. There was a piano, guitars, and music every night.Niki did not leave the Crickets before they made it big. They made it big on the first tour, Lubbock to New York, and appeared on the Ed Sullivan show. He was in the band

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-54744552381362307312011-04-01T17:19:00.004-04:002011-05-03T13:37:40.365-04:00

Welcome to the Spring Fling edition. You will soon realize that this month's stories have very little to do with spring or flings. Or do they?1. Solomon's Cranium by Paul McGuireI couldn't get image out of my head, so I started drawing images of giant skulls, or stick figures of my father in a ditch with giant bones...More2. Traffic Jam at the Top of the World, Part 2 by Tim LavalliA cold hard

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-30616332909488913312011-04-01T17:17:00.000-04:002011-04-01T17:18:50.454-04:00

By Paul McGuire © 2011"I always wanted to be an artist.""Well, you are...in a way.""I'm a musician, sure, but I wanted to be a traditional artist. I wanted to become a painter and when I was a kid I used to draw all the time.""But what happened?""My parents got really angry and outlawed drawing in my home.""What? Where did you grow up? Russia? Nazi Germany?""Boston suburbs. Okay, it's a really

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-58620762790198418662011-04-01T17:15:00.001-04:002011-04-01T17:17:03.962-04:00

By Tim Lavalli © 2011As I cleared the cornice of the massive boulder I saw the line backed up in front of me. There had to be fifteen or more climbers going absolutely nowhere. I sagged back against the rock face and tried to steady my mind. Time was critical, we were in the death zone, who the fuck thought it was a good idea to call it that? Death Zone! Shit can’t let my mind wander like that, I

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-7048148834057752172011-04-01T17:12:00.003-04:002011-04-01T17:15:21.780-04:00

By John G. Hartness © 2011I never gave a whole lot of thought to what it must be like for the zombies. You know, I was just like everybody else: I saw a zombie, I hit it in the head with a baseball bat, or an axe, or on a really good day a chainsaw. But when my mom got infected, I really had to change my opinions on a lot of things. It’s one thing when it’s your fifth-grade PE teacher you’re

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-65575598070007529192011-04-01T17:12:00.001-04:002011-04-01T17:12:28.866-04:00

By Katitude © 2011Hot, dry wind whipped her hair around her face, fast enough so that everything seemed to be blurred with red.Above her she could see the sun beating down on this desert place from a clear sky, the pale expanse broken only by a single jet contrail slicing across it from east to west.On the ground in front of her a roll of 35mm film, pulled from it's canister to lay on the dry

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-82560475560149315342011-04-01T17:11:00.002-04:002011-04-04T19:00:15.487-04:00

By Alex Villegas © 2011I remember walking by the Golden Nugget and hearing a bartender scream, “Does anyone know French?”“I do!” I screamed as I ran over.I took French for a couple of years in high school and always write that I can speak French on my resume. I met the criteria.“What’s up?” I asked the bartender.“This couple, I don’t know what they want,” he said, and pointed to the elderly

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-50448278771878746112011-03-01T16:23:00.003-05:002011-03-01T16:44:46.364-05:00

Spring is almost upon us, which means the March issue is the bridge between the winter of discontent and spring fever...1. Matisse's Chorizo by Paul McGuireLife is so much smoother if you're well-liked by the right people in this fucking town. Or I should clarify -- well-liked by the powerful watch guards of Hollyweird holding the clipboard...More2. Traffic Jam at the Top of the World by Tim

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-38713027092856741172011-03-01T16:20:00.001-05:002011-03-01T16:22:55.880-05:00

By Paul McGuire © 2011Washed-in morning. Cotton-candy mouth.Awoken from a dream. My alarm clock? Nope, rather from the conversational chatter from the neighbor across the alley.I stepped outside and looked up. A cigarette snugly fit in between her fingers from her hand that lazily hung out the second-story window. She gripped a land-line cordless phone with the other hand and rapidly spoke in

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-52455545373736535202011-03-01T16:18:00.001-05:002011-03-01T16:20:31.858-05:00

By Tim Lavalli © 2011As I cleared the cornice of the massive boulder I saw the line backed up in front of me. There had to be fifteen or more climbers going absolutely nowhere. I sagged back against the rock face and tried to steady my mind. Time was critical, we were in the death zone, who the fuck thought it was a good idea to call it that? Death Zone! Shit can’t let my mind wander like that, I

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-20214977953661357672011-03-01T16:17:00.000-05:002011-03-01T16:18:01.531-05:00

By John G. Hartness © 2011Chapter 1I hate waking up in an unfamiliar place. I’ve slept in pretty much the same bed for the past fifteen years, so when I wake up someplace new, it really throws me off. When that someplace is tied to a metal folding chair in the center of an abandoned warehouse that reeks of stale cigarette smoke, diesel fuel and axle grease - well, that really started my night off

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-74747707295460692352011-03-01T16:12:00.002-05:002011-03-01T16:17:07.824-05:00

By Adam J. Weise © 2011There are few situations more guilt inducing for a healthy young man of a middle class upbringing than being asked by a sickly old man to move your poolside lawn chair so that he can continue his job of laying bricks. It made it all the worse that he kept referring to me as "Mr. Adam" and "sir" as if at any moment I might throw a tantrum because he interrupted my

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-65044478365150156632011-03-01T16:11:00.000-05:002011-03-01T16:12:23.146-05:00

By lightning36 © 2011The situation was just so frustrating. Break up or continue the relationship? There was no easy answer.He knew that he had been an extremely lucky guy. How many men get to date television stars? Crystal was beautiful, well-known, and popular. But aside from the usual Hollywood trappings, she had a heart of gold. She exuded warmth and compassion, yet had enough of a bite to

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-14321410441341749912011-02-01T22:34:00.005-05:002011-02-03T16:53:11.051-05:00

Another issue to keep you sane for the shortest month of the year1. Sweet T'ings by Paul McGuireThe flavor of the Bahamas ran up my nose when I unpacked my bag and caught a whiff of my dirty clothes. If you ever want a quick and last memory of a vacation spot, just quickly inhale your clothes as soon as you unpack them...More2. Early Night by Alex VillegasI lit up and began my prowl around the

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-75158135422212998062011-02-01T22:33:00.000-05:002011-02-01T22:34:39.969-05:00

By Paul McGuire © 2011Our cabbie took off from the airport without asking us where to go. Nicky was slightly concerned, but I reassured her that everything was cool. He was obviously engrossed in the middle of an important phone call. I tried to put together what he was saying, but it was a combination of English and Bahamanian Creole.After driving about five minutes the driver put his call on

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-26228655356768870662011-02-01T22:30:00.002-05:002011-04-01T17:11:10.548-04:00

By Alex Villegas © 2010On our way out of the casino we spotted herd of sluts. This specific herd was of Asian descent, looked lost, and was dressed for a good time. “What are you doing talking to me? Go get those girls,” said my colleague Dr. Pauly. “I don’t know. I don’t have a wingman and I’m not even drunk,” I bitched. “Stop bitching. You’re single, young and in Vegas, you don’t need a

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-5898510232627079642011-02-01T22:28:00.002-05:002011-03-01T16:49:02.409-05:00

By May B. Yesno © 2010Not having read a sword or dragons, nor swords and women, or anything of magical taint book in the past six months or so, I find it strange to feel the urge to create a world of such things and lock myself up in the suppositions.There is the business of emails to be considered also. I am receiving short missives from friends and acquaintances suggesting this link is a

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-63257327776030411332011-02-01T22:26:00.000-05:002011-02-01T22:28:44.785-05:00

By Mark Verve © 2010Everyone on the set knows that she'll never rise above the status of fluffer. It's just a matter time until she figures it out. I've watched her for several weeks now as she earned two hundred dollars a day plying her trade on command. She does her work day after day with a surprising enthusiasm. It almost appears as if she enjoys it. She strikes me as a pleasant enough person

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-3523195028125246502011-02-01T22:25:00.000-05:002011-02-01T22:26:05.216-05:00

By AlCantHang © 2011Every bad idea begins with a first step and most of the stories so far involve a good amount of Southern Comfort. It wasn't always this way when I first took my steps which lead me to such a silly life. I was a slow starter in terms of alcohol consumption yet still managed to get myself in some very stupid situations. The addition of my sweet SoCo only lit the fire a little

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-28510014390826833052011-01-01T13:11:00.002-05:002011-01-03T02:41:03.028-05:00

It's a new year and with 2011 comes a brand new issue of Truckin'!1. Waiting on Eastman by Paul McGuireI knew Eastman was a dealer. He knew that I knew, which meant that he also knew the cardinal rule: no dealing inside the bar -- especially the bathrooms and in front of the bar...More2. Scores by Gerald C. Cruz"What's the craziest thing that's ever happened in your cab dude?" they'll wonder, or

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-74053057809422028172011-01-01T01:11:00.001-05:002011-01-03T02:37:03.421-05:00

Paul McGuire © 2011I knew Eastman was a dealer. He knew that I knew, which meant that he also knew the cardinal rule: no dealing inside the bar -- especially the bathrooms and in front of the bar. Maybe Eastman skirted the rule when I wasn't working, but in the three years I tended bar at the Lodge, he never crossed the line. He met his clients at the bodega down the street and conducted deals

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-79710061195586167502011-01-01T01:01:00.004-05:002011-01-03T02:26:54.585-05:00

By Gerald C. Cruz © 2011Usually the first thing that happens when I tell someone that I drive a cab in Las Vegas is that they ask me to tell them a story."What's the craziest thing that's ever happened in your cab dude?" they'll wonder, or some variation thereof. And that's all fine and good as I don't mind indulging a curious mind from time to time. But you know what nobody ever asks me? They

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-88333260013588929782011-01-01T01:01:00.003-05:002011-01-03T02:22:57.121-05:00

By May B. Yesno © 2011Certain things remain a staple in human life. Other things seem to be weeded out. One of the things weeded out and frowned upon in society are bad table manners. In my mixed world of mundane and magical the least desirable things may be dealt with – if the law’s governing man and magic are known and applied, correctly.The Kingdom of Drew encompasses the entire of the

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-74375876222080500822011-01-01T01:01:00.001-05:002011-01-03T02:21:55.361-05:00

By Dan England © 2011I was asking myself what the last day of my life would be like.I wondered Saturday morning if that day would be the day.I never thought about death before I had kids when I went mountain climbing. I don't think that's because I never considered the possibility. I think that's because there was no real consequence if it happened.Even after I got married, I figured Kate could

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-84327407153189182662011-01-01T01:01:00.000-05:002011-01-03T02:20:30.532-05:00

by Ernest © 2011John Goodman once said he realized just how fat he was when he needed to lose weight to play Babe Ruth.I realized just how fat I was when I needed to lose weight to play John Goodman. (Of course, I didn't actually lose any weight. I just needed to.)The year was 2007, and I was going to Lebowski Fest as Goodman's character, Walter Sobchak. What better place to attend a tribute

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-83749529212560611792010-12-01T18:42:00.004-05:002010-12-06T03:32:02.278-05:00

The year-end issue includes a couple of Christmas-themed stories. Happy holidaze!1. Christmas Bird by Paul McGuireShap drank whiskey and soda but with no ice. He'd nurse two or three drinks in five hours and sat the end of the bar for hours on end attempting to finish the NY Times crossword. When he was done with the puzzle, he'd engage in spats with Sully, the resident encyclopedia of sports

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-27892336337140903822010-12-01T18:38:00.000-05:002010-12-01T18:39:14.627-05:00

By Paul McGuire © 2010After I lost my job after the dotcom bubble burst, I humped the morning shift at a neighborhood bar in Brooklyn. Initially, I worked four days a week, taking off one day a week to dedicate myself to interviews and finding a job. I gave up looking for a job after six months and called the bar y office for five days a week for the next three years. I showed up 9am on weekdays

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-60889647709174335602010-12-01T18:37:00.001-05:002010-12-01T18:37:58.450-05:00

By Johnny Hughes © 2010When the Sheriff's deputies brought Lonnie Hogan to the Amarillo jail, Ryan O'Malley was already incarcerated. It was a meeting that they'd laugh about for many years. Both men were 26 years old, and had thick, curly, brown hair, and chocolate-colored eyes. Both were handsome men, and knew it. At 6'2", Lonnie was six inches taller than Ryan. Ryan talked most of the time

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-16898670605977094372010-12-01T18:36:00.001-05:002010-12-01T18:36:27.442-05:00

By Mark Verve © 2010I immediately waved to the bouncer as a line had been crossed. He was busy watching the new Thai dancer. Studying her was more like it. Probably filling his RAM with skippy whipping material for later I thought. He saw me after the second or third wave. As expected he casually moved over in my direction. As a rule the VIP room bouncers are told to be discreet. Wouldn't want to

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-85126609773952679102010-12-01T16:15:00.000-05:002010-12-01T18:35:56.815-05:00

By Ernest © 2010The first time I went to Times Square I was tripping my balls off.I was visiting my friend who was housesitting his art professor's huge apartment/art studio in Tribeca for the summer. On our first night in town, a group of us went to the last strip club left in Manhattan that didn't charge a cover. You get what you pay for. It was a dingy joint called Satin Dolls. Like a

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-4323607787286965752010-12-01T16:13:00.000-05:002010-12-01T18:35:02.207-05:00

By Sigge S. Amdal © 2010 * You've reached Hell Pro Support. Please hold while we find an available technician to answer your call! The conversation may be recorded for training purposes... * Hi, Hell Support, Joan speaking. May I have your service tag, please? * Yes, of course. It's two-oh-four-four-a for alpha-m for male and sixty-nine. * Thank you.... That's a Hell OfficeComp E2000? And I see

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-33142824897272312932010-11-03T17:32:00.003-04:002010-11-08T19:52:11.286-05:00

1. Hot August Night by Paul McGuireI never particularly liked Neil Diamond. I always thought that he was fake cool and not tough, like if he and Van Morrison got into a fight, Van would kick the living shit out of him...More2. The Fat Kid by Sigge S. AmdalI was brought up in a Christian home, so when my mother decided that me and Tom would walk to school together, then her little rat spy

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-73351345773125774192010-11-03T17:30:00.001-04:002010-11-03T17:31:45.423-04:00

By Paul McGuire © 2010In high school when things got rough, Birdy ditched class and drove to Denny's on the outskirt of town. She sat in one of the back booths and drank coffee for hours on end. Always with lots of milk and lots of sugar."The waitress was named Doris or Dorothy or Dee or something like that," Birdy told me. "She knew that something was wrong with me, but never said anything.

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-75461807717119769942010-11-03T17:29:00.000-04:002010-11-03T17:30:13.152-04:00

By Sigge S. Amdal © 2010Everybody knew a fat kid growing up. They come in all forms but one size fits them all. The fat kid I knew, his name was Tom by the way, came from a relatively poor family. That is, everyone was relatively poor back then, but when both parents are generally uneducated and run a homebrew operation in the basement, it doesn't help.I bet Tom's story would have been a success

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-65267585525681995462010-11-03T17:28:00.002-04:002010-11-03T17:29:12.393-04:00

By Wolynski © 2010In my career as a photographer I had many adventures, met a lot of people, photographed a lot of stars. Then I changed careers... This is one of the funniest things that ever happened as a photographer.It was the the late 70s. I'd been in the US for 3 years and now I was freelancing for the Hyatt Regency - in Cambridge, Mass (Boston really) - they'd call me to photograph

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-89114429263739608962010-11-03T17:28:00.001-04:002010-11-03T17:28:28.509-04:00

By Dan England © 2010When I haven't had a hit in a few days - most of you would call it a "workout" - my body starts to tingle.Only it's not the kind of tingle you want. It's not the kind of tingle that drives 16-year-old boys to scrounge around in the back of seedy gas station dumpsters for Tits Magazine (though now that I think about it, that's how we did it; I suppose the Internet makes that a

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-14530497491102366352010-11-03T17:26:00.000-04:002010-11-03T17:27:58.444-04:00

By Adam J. Weise © 2010As I sit on the outdoor patio of the most expensive hotel in Dar es Salaam, the same one President Bush vacated two days ago after renting out every room, I wonder how it is possible for my new $30 five-countries-in-one portable power converter can break while Billy's $5 converter trudges through its third year in Tanzania. I am now completely without all my electronics

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-80177456484374661442010-10-05T15:11:00.002-04:002010-10-05T15:17:13.437-04:00

Welcome back. The October issue of Truckin' is upon us.1. The Wait by Paul McGuireBlake was so weighed down by the downers -- anti-psychotics, anti-anxiety meds, and anti-depressants -- that she was constantly fighting against the heaviness of what her shrinks prescribed her. She combated her sleepiness with sugar-free Red Bull, 5-Hour energy shots, and triple Espressos from Coffee Bean --

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-87264614078620407702010-10-05T15:07:00.002-04:002010-10-05T15:11:21.834-04:00

By Paul McGuire © 2010Waiting. My least favorite thing to do in the world, yet, I always get stuck in the longest lines no matter where I go. Grocery stores, 7/11, the drive-thru at In-N-Out...it doesn't matter. I always get delayed.The bank? Always horrendous. My appearance at the end of the line guarantees that everyone in front of me will engage in complex transactions that takes a dozen

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-32515164541028440682010-10-05T15:06:00.001-04:002010-10-05T15:06:52.083-04:00

By Johnny Hughes © 2010Billy Sue Bailey, well-known local Tea Party leader, and prominent member of one of Lubbock's founding families was standing at the checkout counter in the upscale grocery store, Market Street.Dewey Huffknot was standing right behind her. "I screwed your sister in high school," he said loudly, "In the backyard of y'all's historic home."The teenager at the cash register was

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-52909742881163874752010-10-05T15:05:00.000-04:002010-10-05T15:06:07.101-04:00

By Wolynski © 2010It was Halloween 1974 and I was barely out of my teens.The Madhouse Company was new to Manhattan. We were performing our "Wild Stunt Show," written by Ken Campbell, just round the corner from the Improv. We befriended the flamboyant owner, Budd Friedman, and many of the comics.One day Budd approached us with an offer of a gig. Charles Jourdan shoes were throwing a huge

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-45603478983140223042010-10-05T15:03:00.000-04:002010-10-05T15:04:15.883-04:00

By Martin Harris © 2010I put this down now so I don’t forget later. Like I’m apt to do.The man’s name was Carl P. Huffines. I don’t know what the P was for. I knew this man for about four or five weeks, maybe. Not more. I never last more than a month or two at anything, it seems like. Always starting over.As I write this today I have no idea how it was I ended up with Huffines. I had been

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-15669955909145146212010-10-05T15:02:00.000-04:002010-10-05T15:03:27.879-04:00

By Mark Verve © 2010Finding several million dollars is on the list of good problems to have. Drug money or not I could think of worse problems but it still was a problem. The main challenge is legitimizing some of the cash to make it more manageable in the governments eyes. I knew to avoid pretentious spending of the new found wealth. Years ago Steve Wynn's daughter was kidnapped in Las Vegas and

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-75595248689418875742010-09-04T19:11:00.001-04:002010-09-04T19:13:10.354-04:00

Welcome to the 9th issue of the 9th volume of Truckin'1. Punta del Mota by Paul McGuireThe last time I was in South America, I had gotten involved in a bar fight in Argentina and a cab driver accused me of being a CIA agent. I left with mixed feelings and wasn't that excited to return to South America for another assignment... More2. Meeting the X-Men by Brad WillisCulver Stockton—Culley to

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-67965208397725704212010-09-04T19:09:00.002-04:002010-09-04T19:10:36.010-04:00

By Paul McGuire © 2010The last time I was in South America, I had gotten involved in a bar fight in Argentina and a cab driver accused me of being a CIA agent. I left with mixed feelings and wasn't that excited to return to South America for another assignment.I groggily wandered through Montevideo airport behind a gleeful group of Uruguayan high school girls who shared the same flight from Miami

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-38179097181573304732010-09-04T19:09:00.001-04:002010-09-04T19:09:39.908-04:00

By Brad Willis © 2010Culver Stockton held his cigarette between his middle and ring fingers. It trembled until the snake of ash fell off the end and onto the ripped black vinyl seat. Culver didn't notice—didn't brush it off the seat or even move his thin legs to the side. Instead he sucked hard on the butt, let his eyes narrow, and then pointed at nothing with the smoldering end."Vietnam," he

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-23702565633130317082010-09-04T19:08:00.000-04:002010-09-04T19:09:01.394-04:00

By Sigge S. Amdal © 2010Per 120 Faculty Staff Member there was one IT support staff and his name was Jacob. Jacob learned the ins and outs of the Faculty business over the years, never once questioning his late night turn-ins and unpaid overtime. He raised questions only when the summer holidays were up, and he didn't receive his salary, because that was company rules. Except he was employed on

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-79823555467058002502010-09-04T19:04:00.001-04:002010-09-04T19:04:50.109-04:00

By Mark Verve © 2010The moonless night had created an all consuming darkness. The only light for miles around came from my headlights. I was speeding down Highway 82 trying to make the border before sunrise. I knew from experience that shortly afterward it could take more than an hour to get across. I was making my monthly trip to Mexico to get my sister Lisa's meds at a discount pharmacy in

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-90004561053428400952010-09-04T19:03:00.000-04:002010-09-04T19:04:16.769-04:00

By Wolynski © 2010In the 80's I knew Rodney Dangerfield to say hello. He used to come in to the comedy club "Catch A Rising Star" on the upper east side to try out new material and was very genial towards all the comics.At the time I worked out of a photography studio in the east 70's - a magnificent, dilapidated warehouse overlooking the East River transformed into the best space in

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-28912841974723187202010-08-05T02:27:00.001-04:002010-08-05T11:08:22.598-04:00

Welcome back to the late summer edition of Truckin'1. Invisible by Paul McGuireI'm about six to seven inches off the ground with each bouncy step. That's the best way to describe the feeling, like the astronauts doing the slo-mo kangaroo hop on the moon. Floating. Bouncing. Sedated. Happily sedated, I should add. Demons quelled. Anxieties locked away... More2. Of New Cars by May B. YesnoThe

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-15983833173540162092010-08-05T02:26:00.003-04:002010-08-05T02:26:00.631-04:00

By Paul McGuire © 2010Within thirty minutes the initial effects start to take hold. It feels like I'm walking around on an invisible bubble, more like one of those maroon rubber balls that we used at recess and gym class for dodge ball or kick ball. I'm about six to seven inches off the ground with each bouncy step. That's the best way to describe the feeling, like the astronauts doing the

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-34350704577446342942010-08-05T02:26:00.002-04:002010-08-05T02:28:32.832-04:00

By Sigge S. Amdal © 2010K called me up and told me he had some cash. That was all it took back then; some time off – which was all the time – and some cash. Who cared about the general welfare of anything? We were lost at sea and we loved it. I wouldn't say cruising, 'cause life on the edge never resembles the careless automata of allowing everything to happen, NO. If you did you'd end up never

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-20098377393551603392010-08-05T02:26:00.001-04:002010-08-05T02:26:00.885-04:00

By May B. Yesno © 2010The Dude and his bling clattered their way in through the picture window doors of the new car display room, and Sales persons scattered in all directions.The Bling carrier was not a new guy in town. He had a reputation, and it preceded him. He was a presence, he was visible and, unfortunately from the view point of the sales staff on duty, he was there. One of the staff

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-9846262335630066302010-08-05T02:26:00.000-04:002010-08-05T02:27:01.855-04:00

By Johnny Hughes © 2010So, they caught some Russian spies! Finally. I've been waiting since the end of World War Two when I started grade school. I'm from Lubbock, Texas, the second-most conservative city in the USA. We grew up on imaginary enemies, foreign and domestic. During World War Two, my Dad was a Major in the Texas Army Reserves. They did maneuvers in Mackenzie Park. I was five when a

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-27745242978692190212010-08-05T02:25:00.002-04:002010-08-05T02:25:00.550-04:00

By Tenzin McGrupp © 2002, 2010I sit in Bryant Park and I watch all the Five o'clock People scurry off, released from their cubicles they rush away down Fifth Avenue, dozens, hundreds, thousands. A flashback of a scene from the Matrix. I am alive as I will ever be, yet everything around me is as distant as far as Saturn's moon are from the Oregon Coast, my detachment thrills and disturbs my child

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-85202842902826276562010-08-05T02:25:00.001-04:002010-08-05T02:25:00.979-04:00

By Mark Verve © 2010I don't think the single life is bad in fact I rather enjoy it. I consider it an adventure. Dating can be a pain but just imagine how many married people would love the chance to date again. For that matter, imagine how many are dating again. I'm just an average guy with nothing special going for me. I'm just a bit more practiced at the craft. Over time we all develop our

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-88152299318284541422010-07-21T12:56:00.003-04:002010-07-21T13:26:49.034-04:00

Welcome back to the "always late" July edition of Truckin'!1. Everest by Paul McGuireWhat was supposed to be the family room was completely unorganized clutter -- bags of clothes, empty containers, Betty Boop memorabilia, canned goods, grocery store fliers, and boxes of Christmas decorations. Everything was piled on top of each other like ever shifting sand dunes... More2. Baby Boo and the

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-6815697902364926582010-07-21T12:47:00.002-04:002010-07-21T20:24:57.949-04:00

Paul McGuire © 2010Lizzy's grandmother grew up grew up under tough circumstances. Money was tight back then and even though Lizzy's grandmother married into a predominately wealthy family, she still had foundation of savings. She had a difficult time throwing things away. She saved everything. It's not that Lizzy's grandmother was miserly, on the contrary, she enjoyed spending her money. Her

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-67291169442831611302010-07-21T12:46:00.001-04:002010-07-21T13:01:31.617-04:00

By Katitude ©2010You can always tell the people who have never really "ridden off into the sunset." They're the ones who still think it's romantic.The reality is anything but romantic. The sun is blazing into your eyes, and no matter how you squint, you can't really see what's up ahead. You can feel the mother of all headaches begin to take up residence between your temples. You're hot. You're

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-32626064059639234842010-07-21T12:45:00.001-04:002010-07-21T12:45:53.104-04:00

By SirFWalgman © 2010Last night I was a little bored when one of those Facebook web cam whores came on. You know the ones I am talking about. The ones with hot pictures who call you baby and tell you how hot you are while trying to get you to enter your credit card information on their webcam sites. The people behind these things could be fat chicks, or dudes, or who knows.So I decide to have a

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-1710543859036659992010-07-21T12:41:00.001-04:002010-07-21T12:44:52.695-04:00

By Ernest © 2010 The extremely pregnant woman did a shot of Jagermeister, and then started slowly sliding off her barstool. The bartender ran around the corner of the bar and caught her just before she hit the ground. That’s a sound I was glad I didn't have to hear. The sickening thud of a drunk pregnant woman hitting the floor. What kind of place was this? What alternate dimension had I

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-14565336859581975302010-07-21T12:40:00.000-04:002010-07-21T12:41:26.736-04:00

By Paul McGuire © 2010It's hard to say when Ike went crazy. Sure, I was there during the trigger point, or flash point, or whatever you call it. But something, deep, very deep into his past must have been the root cause of his bout with insanity. That abrupt shift in reality does not happen over night. It's a gradual decline as your brain slowly loses touch with reality. It was as though he had

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-57057322894406575212010-06-05T02:39:00.002-04:002010-06-05T23:27:09.576-04:00

Truckin' has been around for 8 years now. I'm amazed, shocked, and thrilled. Happy birthday, Truckin'!1. Inertia Junction by Paul McGuireShe told me that she was on a year-long holiday after her mother died from a serious illness. She had a sorrowful smile. Her friend looked like your pissed-off lesbian cousin. Short spikey hair. Only one ear pierced. Constant scowl... More2. One Guy, One Cup

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-87045462325854959712010-06-05T02:38:00.000-04:002010-06-05T23:21:05.106-04:00

By Paul McGuire © 2010When I traveled to Europe for the very first time, I rode the trains from country to country with other backpackers. The longer people were on the road, the smaller their packs got. You could easily pick out the life-long transients because they carried the least attachments. To be totally free is to be rootless. Floating. Freedom is more precious than gold.Sometimes it's

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-28961200702538470852010-06-05T02:35:00.000-04:002010-06-05T23:21:05.116-04:00

By Brad Willis © 2010I was nearly out of gas and still 45 minutes from the deposit point. I looked at the bag in the passenger seat and wondered if I should put it somewhere less conspicuous. I imagined a tanned South Carolina trooper peering in the window and asking, “What’s in the bag, son?”It was white plastic with the words “Bi-Lo” stamped in red on the outside and its contents were more

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-61822774067615613782010-06-05T02:34:00.000-04:002010-06-05T23:21:05.126-04:00

By Sigge S. AmdalHenry was tired. He was tired and wide awake, and it was late at night. Very late at night. Henry would not sleep. He would not sleep until passing out from exhaustion.Six years ago, was it six years ago already? Yeah. Six years ago. That's when he first had it. The itch. He remember not taking notice, not paying attention, not even caring about it. But the itch had remained. And

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-92048938097533338202010-06-05T02:33:00.000-04:002010-06-05T23:21:05.133-04:00

By May B. Yesno © 2010I was chasing the facts, fiction, and story; call it as you will, of a story rumored around my hometown to have taken place in a place distant. I was on my third day of questions and answers with the locals in that distant place, and hadn’t gleaned a smell of fact, or fiction for that matter. I decided a break was in order. In manner, then, I chose a lounge bar on the out

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-26444651131634771152010-06-05T02:30:00.001-04:002010-06-05T23:21:05.139-04:00

By Miles Harvey © 2010 Her house was at the end of a long driveway. The lane was rutted and covered in snow that ranged from off-white to dull-yellow and would have made horrible snowmen.His coffee sent thin wisps up from the dash of the police cruiser. Darb Hendleson stared hard beneath the stiff brim of his South Dakota State Trooper derby. He saw a warm house, a glowing kitchen and a

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-60755226981480263932010-06-05T02:28:00.000-04:002010-06-05T23:21:05.144-04:00

By Paul McGuire © 2002To find me sittingIn a well lit room,Is to find me staringAt the swarthy cracks in the shabby wall.I saw him working,In a small poolFull of blissful frogs and other amphibiansBut he did not see meLurking in the faint twilight,When the purples and oranges takeOver the sky, and the other colorsMust patiently sit and watchThem gleefully dance with each otherTheir shadows

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-70886959740522122992010-05-02T01:42:00.003-04:002010-05-02T01:48:07.439-04:00

Welcome back to the latest issue of Truckin'.1. Uncle Louie by Paul McGuireHe used to be full of life and love and generosity, but no more. These days, he was capable of saying horrendous things that made you feel like you were three inches tall. He had the madness of an angry blind dog... More2. State Line by AlCantHangIt has never once failed me when I yell "OY!" and look like I'm going to eat

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-73573545021194918602010-05-02T01:41:00.000-04:002010-05-02T01:42:21.321-04:00

By Paul McGuire © 2010Uncle Louie attempted to board a Greyhound bus in Denver with 2,200 hits of LSD. That's what the DEA said in their statement. How they came up with that number, no one will ever know. But the part about attempting to board a bus with LSD was true. That incident was the first time that Uncle Louie ever got pinched. He had soaked the pages of a seventeen bibles with liquid

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-39549442863582186462010-05-02T01:40:00.000-04:002010-05-02T01:41:14.089-04:00

By Drizz © 2010A sense of entitlement. For some after a hard day on Wall Street or along the glass enclosed offices of a Fortune 500 company it’s having a three-car garage filled with names like Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, and Bentley or a closet full of Zegna, Ralph Lauren, and Armani. Those are materialistic things that sedate the beast of needing more. Others are happy that the oft broken down

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-59794577572608955362010-05-02T01:39:00.002-04:002010-05-02T01:40:31.211-04:00

By AlCantHang © 2010It was merely a trip across the state line barely stressful walking conditions if it wasn't for the driving rain. That was just something which came into play during my way home."You wanna go to another dive bar?" my newly found cousin asked me.I came to find a this long lost cousin at a local bar near my old homestead in Pennsylvania. We hung out whenever she could get away

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-76986020184217318442010-05-02T01:39:00.001-04:002010-05-02T01:39:33.923-04:00

By Broseph © 2010I don't know why I'm writing this down. I am an idiot, and the fact that I find this kind of stuff funny is probably why. Although, this makes me look terrible. Don't go telling everyone (the women), as the following is evidence of what a degenerate fuck up I am.Gwen invited me to her going away deal; Facebook event, dinner at eight, bars after. She’s going back to Vermont, to

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-82744077391019912752010-05-02T01:35:00.000-04:002010-05-02T01:36:43.884-04:00

By Dawn Summers © 2010On Saturday, all manner of hell just about broke loose in Brooklyn, NY. The skies were just this shade of pitch black at nine in the morning. The rain was slamming against my windows. And the wind, oh the wind huffed and puffed and tried to blow my house down.I called my mother and informed her that I believed 2010 had physically manifested into precipitation and was trying

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-20592200484974553672010-05-02T01:34:00.000-04:002010-05-02T01:35:18.081-04:00

By Tenzin McGrupp © 2010Doomsday is near as soon as the politicians go honest.Bad thoughts are more dangerous thanWards, dungeons, and prisons.While most of you sleep,I lie awake and yawn.My thoughts about the subtle flecksOf emerald green in her sea blue eyesCasually drifted away towards clarity.My quagmire of a life resemblesA wretched Fox sitcom,A Shakespeare play,A black and white Woody

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-11557844471582641402010-04-03T01:03:00.005-04:002010-04-12T17:14:29.270-04:00

Welcome back to the latest issue of Truckin'.1. Lovers' Whirlwind by Paul McGuireI don't know if you want to know the real answer. You're a new arrival. It's not proper to ask all these questions on your first day. The real answers are not important... More2. The Dog Lover by Sigge S. AmdalI had a chat with my pet fish and decided to check out the local pet store to see if they had frozen larvae

DrPaulyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09020689398161655082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562388.post-78191205892676772042010-04-03T01:01:00.005-04:002010-04-03T01:01:01.077-04:00

By Paul McGuire © 2010"How long have you been here?" Jorgen asked as he rubbed his eyes and his temple."Hard to tell," explained the girl in the green dress. "I want to say seven years. But it could be longer.""Seven years? How about everyone over there?""Please, don't point. It's not polite. I know you are a new arrival, but we have certain rules here. If the eld-""I apologize," interrupted

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By Sigge S. Amdal © 2010I was having a relaxing day doing nothing at all when I realized that I'd actually have to leave the flat to get some eggs and a six pack (breakfast & dinner). I had a chat with my pet fish and decided to check out the local pet store to see if they had frozen larvae – a delicious to hungry Kili fish that'll make 'em fornicate like swine given the opportunity.It was a lazy

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By Jonny Vincent © 2010I was abducted tonight against my wishes [yes, it's possible to sanely wish for abduction - read on for a legitimate example] by miserable wretches masquerading as 'friends'. As I am no longer on the radar of any kidnap-for-ransom types due to no longer possessing a ransom worthy of kidnap efforts, I was initially unable to isolate and identify the motivations driving my

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By Tenzin McGrupp © 2010I hailed a taxi driven by a guy with an authentic Cajun accent. He told me how he hitched across America on old Route 66 when he was my age."I was almost killed by a serial killer, but escaped at the last possible second," was the one line that stuck out the most.The Cajun cabbie fixed motorcycles in his spare time, but never read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

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By Katitude © 2010We were somewhere in the Southwest, maybe Utah, maybe south Colorado. We were on a two-lane secondary highway, the kind that used to be the main road before they built the Interstate. It was August, and it was hot.The area was bone dry, and the sun and lack of water had bleached the scenery we rode through into a study of beiges and tawny golds. The only breaks in the brown

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Johnny Hughes © 2010In this part of West Texas, Colonel Ranald "Bad Hand" MacKenzie is seen as the hero of the Indian wars of the 1870s. There were so-called battles in all our area canyons: Yellow House, Blanco, Tule, White River, and the last and largest battle of the Red River Wars, in Palo Duro Canyon against Quanah Parker, and several tribes. MacKenzie had to spend more time killing people

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Welcome back to the Almost-Spring issue of Truckin'.1. Purple Pajamas by Paul McGuire"A girl from Texas once told me that grasshoppers were lucky," said Lucien as he balanced his guitar on his leg and leaned into the microphone. "I didn't believe her. I used to kill 'em whenever I came across 'em."... More2. Jonny, No H by Sigge S. AmdalI needed a cabbie, and I needed it fast 'fore anyone wrong

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By Paul McGuire © 2010"A girl from Texas once told me that grasshoppers were lucky," said Lucien as he balanced his guitar on his leg and leaned into the microphone. "I didn't believe her. I used to kill 'em whenever I came across 'em. Started when I was a little kid. I found out some years back that killing grasshoppers was bad luck. That would explain all that crappy luck I had in the 1980s.""

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By Sigge S. Amdal © 2010For whatever reason, whatever grounds that night, I was irrevocably mugged by four umpteens taking turns like the worst scenes of a Clockwork Orange. Time is put on hold and your money is gone, everyone around you pose immediate threats; long, cold shadows reaching into the supporting structure surrounding your heart, and squeezing it for fear, every drop of it, until you

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By Chris Hall © 2010A hot summer in Auckland, the balcony door wide open as I muttered to myself about the fact the hotel I was staying in had air-con in the halls yet neglected to provide any within the room in which I was dwelling. I'd been moved from another hotel because the latter had been overbooked, the mighty AC/DC concert that was to be on the following night had every rock 'n' roll fan

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By Change100 © 2010I told Meredith I'd pick up the pumpkins because I wanted to drive her car. It wasn't a particularly remarkable vehicle but at the time, her blue-green Subaru might as well have been a Ferrari and Interstate 57 the Cote d'Azur. I wanted to drive. I didn't care where I had to go to do it, I just wanted to get behind the wheel. Only six weeks into fall quarter, I longed for my

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By Johnny Hughes © 2010"Tough times make tough people." - Benny BinionBeing an O'Malley, I was learning the grift by age fourteen and I drove a car across Texas all by myself in 1937. You go ask any old person in the Southwest if they've seen my uncle Sky O'Malley's act, and they'll remember and laugh. They had this ol' bi-plane during the Depression. They'd go to county fairs and rodeos and such

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Welcome back to the latest issue of Truckin'.1. Lymie Malibu by Paul McGuireShe was too whacked out to remember any lines and flubbed more and more auditions that we were both surprised when her commercial agent keeps sending her out. Kaya was the quintessential cocaine tragedy, yet somehow, she kept getting callbacks... More2. From Beatniks to Hippies. The Early Sixties. A Memoir. by Johnny

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