When Tony comes to town: Greenville, SC
‘Deep dish is pizza like Olive Garden is Italian’ –Anthony Bourdain on Chicago pie I don’t think I’ve made any secret about my admiration for Anthony Bourdain. His ability to mix snark with cerebral...
Author: Brad Willis
Groundhog Day redux
So, yesterday I said I planned to spend today writing about the days in my life that I wouldn’t mind living over and over again. I still may do that soon. I’ve been characteristically...
Groundhog day preview
I’m looking forward to today. Although I’m not exceptionally invested in the teams playing in the Superbowl, my wife’s family and my son are huge Pittsburgh Steelers fans. My boy is giddy, running around...
Adventures in customer service (Part 3) — American Express
Part 1 and Part 2 What are you wearing, American boy? I knew he wasn’t in America. His training in Midwestern Accent was good, but not good enough to fool a guy from the...
Adventures in customer service (Part 2) — Delta Airlines
If you missed it, here’s Part 1 Do not pass Go, do not collect $200 If you had sat through Lakeview Terrance on a 10-hour flight, you would’ve probably been a little absentminded, too....
Adventures in customer service (Part 1)
I like to produce as much as I like to consume. I think it has something to do with my heretofore unstated need for validation and affection. My insurance doesn’t pay for therapy, so...
Monkey Chef Otis
When I’m on the road, cooking is among the top five things I miss. I’m no chef, nor do I want to be. I’m also not the best cook in the world, but I...
Otis miscellany
As most of you know, I’m not a meme guy. As most of you also know, I like talking about myself. So, a meme that asks me to talk about myself invites an embarrassing...
Northern man
(Atlanta, GA)–About 12 hours ago, there were four of us in the speeding van. A rock music photographer turned poker shooter sat in front of me in the middle seat. Beside him was a...
Addled
(Vina del Mar, Chile)–It’s 6am and a dog is barking. There is no reason I can figure that a stray mutt would be outside my hotel window, but there he is. Valparaiso sits on...
From chilly to Chile
(Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport)–There will come a time, I’m sure, when someone will ask, “So where were you when Barack Obama was elected President of the United States?” I will answer, “San Jose, Costa Rica.”...
The Best of BoCoMo live music 2008
Somewhere in the neighborhood of 17 years ago, I met a guy named Aaron. He was one of–if not the very first–person I spoke to on the University of Missouri college campus. He was...
Blotter
This is a busy month for me and I don’t have quite as much time for free writing as usual. Here are a couple of things that bear a quick mention. Fiance shot? Pick...
The voice behind the Charity Worley 911 call
Linda Casey is in agony. She’s been that way for nearly a month and she can’t bear to listen to her own pain. She’s tried so many times, but has made it all the...