the good and noble heart of my dear friend thaddeus dickson, playing marbles at the big tree in dambach, josh golden tipping me off about the keyboard sale, rain and the key of e minor, the time i spent learning from and meditating with captain waco walter – and our adventure up dobangsan, the way my wife laughs when she’s not aware i’m listening, the kitchen aid mixer my folks gave us as a house warming gift, both drs. fleming for leading me toward teaching in their own ways, the strange and fleeting courtship i had with naomi brandenfels, michael lambert for his long friendship and for recommending barry hughart’s bridge of birds – one of my favorite stories, wellbutrin – slayer of the evil dragon tobacco, a good glass of port (the most notable shared with tony and fiona at a posh flat in london), sunsets in the san juan islands where dana scott franz and i owned the moon and learned about the diggle dog death trolley, my grandma viola for setting down in words what her life was like growing up, the courage of rebecca to accept me into her heart even through the shadow years, the $800 my father gave me so that erik huber, erik rockom, steve scalfati, bruce huber, jayson binary ramos, and that other fella could record together at hyde street recording studios, my lost friend brian webb with whom i shared many fine adventures, every time my father took me into a cathedral during our time in nuremburg, germany, my anacortes friend scott oakes for being a kind and decent person, having dr. robert carey as my masters degree program advisor, camp orkila counselor quinn hubbard for reading the hobbit to us, electricity in general, the ability to hear, danny dunn books, erector sets lincoln logs and legos, being born in a country that, although riddled with faults, has allowed me the freedom to grow creatively without persecution, total cereal with yogurt, remembrances that leave a subtle musky sweet bouquet, the honesty of my students who taught me to teach, watching jessica lyons knit during when knowledge worlds collide class at rpi, sawyer’s hair, my mom teaching me so much more than just baking bread in the kitchen, the insanity i endured while reading robert anton wilson’s illuminatus! trilogy, the brief period of life where my constant companions were a pair of danner light hiking boots, a usmc k-bar knife, and my flute, zoos (even though i am conflicted about them each time i go), the kindness of the brennans – an old british couple i met on a hydrofoil on the way to england, my many do-ventures with tynan (where do you want to go?), well-built whimsically designed massive playgrounds, molly the girl i knew in germany who stuttered except when she sang, bow-wow-wow the song by atomic dog which i first heard on kyyx in seattle back in fifth grade, the same time period i met leondre harris who sat on me for saying a racial epithet, iced lattes, scrabble, and of course webster’s dictionary, milk chocolate, when Becca’s foot touches my leg when we’re asleep, flannel pillow cases, forest green, memories of oaxaca, mexico, dragons real and imagined, stories well-told, hot air balloons (may i actually ride in one some day), the music of will ackerman, my experience working at the ndakinna education center and the people i met organizing the saratoga native american festival, back scratches, 17-year old me and the books of richard bach, katya chorover’s voice and musical stylings, solar-powered things, the smell of fresh baked bread made by my own hands, the friendships forged over miles and years with mythology at the core – rakuista, clemsy, bodhibliss, david, martin, and bob, the inquisitive, insightful, and witty mind of tynan at age 6½, my brother erik, palmer’s cocoa butter lotion, sfc larry malesky who does not know the critical impact he had on my development as a young man, the teachers who made me want to teach: tim curtis for his humor and spirit, tim brousseau for his funk, brian herbison for his open mind, jesse yoshida for her venom, nada oakley for her devilish demands, martha fleming for her joy, joe delano for his erudite wit, bob carey for his wisdom and guidance, mrs. montgomery for her progressive heart, becca’s offer to invite my dad to live with us, racquetball with bob hill, lsd with hal peterson – and the long strange arc of our friendship, the experience of living in germany when i was younger and south korea when i was older, joking with ssg juan ledesma, the nine-foot steinway piano in the sanctuary of the newport covenant church in bellevue washington, my 20-year love affair with my best friend Becca, the raw potential of the creative union between erik huber and me from since childhood to the hyde street sessions, 3:00am at denny’s with brian webb discussing poetry and smoking cigarettes, the freckle on rebecca nielsen’s lip, working security with chris at the university book store in seattle – we made a great team, the good energy of conversations with chuck niles, the early morning bliss of a buddhist monastery on a mountain in south korea, conversations with kimi at kimi’s dragon tattoo parlor, cran-raspberry lime polar seltzer, my friendships with dan treptow and steve kesting, the support becca gives me to pursue my odd adventures (ethnos project, jcf, bread baking), the times I was uncommonly free, irresponsible, high, alone, creative, and inspired, microwave technology, my flute, patterns in wood grain, r. buckminster fuller and his ideas & integrities, the feel and heft and smell of a good book or a cup of coffee or a piece of driftwood, or fresh baked challah, tulip fields in laconner, juli adams’ brilliant mind and delightfully ambidextrous hands, ornate time pieces, a romp in the snow now and again, dixon trimline no. 2 pencils, well-constructed bookshelves, the smell of a cavendish blend and the balance of a fine pipe, the adventures i have had by exploiting automotive technology, the sounds of salamander, discovering tangible treasures in basement boxes, the beautiful bowls thrown by jonathan and janice millman, the impish grin of sean o’leary, the dreamy half-memories of hydra during easter off the coast of mainland greece, good old-fashioned paper and pencil, date nights with my wife at the end of every week, small gerber pocket knives, the zen-like presence of our dachshund dora, well-crafted silver rings, the mystery of certain hedges, erik rockom in all of his glory, night hikes through the nature preserve, the myth of sisyphus, a good pee, the forgiveness of friends when i have been less than i should be, rabbis jonathan and linda of temple sinai, the potential of ellipses to produce suspense…