Winter’s nap on Mt. Otis
Let’s be honest with ourselves here. I’ve woken up in a really ugly mood for the last few days and had no real excuse for it. Today, I woke up at 7:45am when my...
Author: Brad Willis
Giuliani’s Headache
It’s always fun to figure out what “flu-like symptoms” really means. If you missed it, Rudy Giuliani was admitted to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis last week with what was initially described as flu-like...
Holiday groceries
I always park near the cart corral, no matter the weather. It usually means a longer walk into the grocery store, but it means less time finding a place to put my cart when...
Holiday trickery
It’s downtown Greenville on a cold December afternoon. A magician has worked up a sweat, torn off his coat, and is working the crowd to a wash of smiles and belly-laughs. It looks like...
Glory be
When my wife answered the phone, I let loose a string of profanity that made even her blush. This is the woman who uses four-letter words in job interviews and to describe puppies. “What?...
And you want to be my latex salesman…
It’s a smoky room with a big screen TV, leather couches, and a poker table. It’s where I spend one night a week with a collection of salesmen, developers, engineers, retirees, and dentists. It...
What the Huck?
Let’s forget for a moment that one of the most important elections in our lifetime is eleven months away. Let’s forget that the amount of money being spent on the campaigns could feed the...
Afflicted
I am afflicted. I have tinnitus. It’s only in my right ear. Despite its constant manifestation, it doesn’t bother me that much. I’m to blame for it, almost certainly. Countless live shows, too much...
Where normal meets life
Once returned from Las Vegas, the everyday activity between waking and sleeping seems quite ordinary. This is the way it happens every time. There is relief at being home, followed by latent endorphin withdrawal,...
An introduction to Rapid Eye Reality
Rapid Eye Reality is the personal blog of Brad Willis, a semi-pro blogger and freelance writer who is sometimes known as “Otis.” Any questions not answered below can be e-mailed to [email protected]. Who is...
Home
When I got out of bed at 4:45 last Thursday morning, it was freezing outside. I was headed to Vegas, so I didn’t bother wearing a heavy coat. When I returned yesterday morning, I...
Zicam in a foxhole
I’m currently involved in medicine’s version of finding Jesus in a foxhole. Last night saw me use the swab and spray version of Zicam. I also pounded a glass of Airborne. Do I think...
Cleaning house for the aged
“I’m going to clean out my closet,” I said. G-Rob replied, “Is that a metaphor?” After nearly eight years of friendship, this guy knows me way too well. “Yeah, probably,” I said. “But I...
The Steve Earle Guitar
Several years ago, I sat in a renovated mill in downtown Greenville at a charity auction held by the local classic rock station, Rock101. It was a time I didn’t have a lot of...