Author: Jim Santos
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Cucumber Gap Loop
Last week we had a chance to get in one more Smoky Mountains hike before the Labor Day Weekend crowds appeared. So Thursday we loaded up our packs and set out for Elkmont Campgrounds to hike the 5.5 mile “Cucumber Gap Loop Trail”. First, a word about those packs. On our last hike Rita took…
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Abrams Falls Hike
There must be something about the last week of August that causes us to lace up the hiking boots. In 2019 on this week, we were hiking in the Galápagos. 2018 found us exploring Greenways and parks of Knoxville, and in 2017 we were finishing up explorations around Cusco in Perú and about to tackle the Inca…
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The Struggle is Real
As we get ready to go into our fourth month of self-quarantine, at least there are some silver linings. We’ve expanded our morning walks to almost five miles, and we have developed a very efficient pantry and garage-shelf food storage system. With all of the time at home, Rita has started sorting and digitizing boxes…
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Divided We Fall
I was idly scrolling through FaceBook the other day when I saw a post with what struck me as an uniquely American brag. A young woman proudly stated that she had just spent about two hours in a Target store brazenly unmasked, and had not been asked to leave. She saw this as some kind…
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Oh My Darling Quarantine
Strange times we are living in. Many people, being forced to spend more time in their homes, are finding their lives completely disrupted. Some are responding better than others, and many couples are finding out things they may not have necessarily have wanted to know about their relationships. For my wife and I, perhaps the…
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With our Music, Life Would Be a Mistake
I don’t always title a blog post with a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche, but I make an exception in this case. I want to take a break from the Galápagos Islands book I’m working on to write about a show that we attended at the Tennessee Theater on Thursday, March 12, 2020. I bring it…
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Better Living Through Chemistry
I would like to start by thanking all of those readers who responded about my previous post ‘Tis the Season. As you may imagine it was not an easy decision to make public such a personal post on depression. But after hearing from so many people who have similar problems and concerns but have been afraid…
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‘Tis the Season
By any rational criteria, I have a wonderful life. I’m married to a beautiful woman that I’ve only grown closer to over the last 10+ years. We have been fortunate enough to do a lot of travel and experience some wonderful places. We’ve hiked the Inca Trail to stand in Machu Picchu, and explored the Galápagos…
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When Death Comes Calling
I’m no stranger to Death. I have had to deal with the Grim Reaper on all too many occasions. I watched my older brother drink and eat himself to death before the age of 35 when I was in my 20’s. I lost my first wife of 25 years to cancer. More recently, Rita lost…
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Band Horror Stories – Auditions
I received a lot of emails after my post on the Queen movie and my reminisces on playing in local bands. Much to my surprise, people wanted more band stories. So here we go, by popular demand, a look back at one of the most dreaded events in any amateur musician’s life – that nerve-racking…