April had a knack for making my life complicated. So when April walked through my door on the First, I couldn't help but feel like a fool. "Trick or Treat," she said with a smile. It was all show and …
Sailing the Seas of Learning March, 26 2007
Erin, our FruitGuys marketing maven, was cooking dinner last week while her son played at the kitchen table with his Playmobile pirate set. He pumped his men up for battle: "It's gonna be dangerous. …
Muscat Love, the Non-Sequitor Flashback March 19, 2007
It's 1980, and yes, I'm wearing Izod. My dad has a consulting gig with a large hospital group in LA, and we're on a flight from Philadelphia to Los Angeles. Tray table down, window shades up, my folks …
FruitGuy Noir: The Case of the Case on the Web February 26, 2007
They were standing around the FruitCrate when all heck broke loose. Jane was trying to convince John that "grapefruit" descended from a dinosaur egg-sized fruit-grape that used to grow under …
Daydream #12: it could have happened by the fruitcrate February 19, 2007
Bob is standing next to the FruitGuys crate, cutting an avocado in half. Jane's new soft-soled shoes make her quiet like a cat as she walks to the fruit. There's a song in the air that Jane can't …
And now for something completely different February 12, 2007
During mid-winter, I feel like I need a carnival sideshow to keep me motivated. "See the 12-foot-tall Giraffe Man who eats leaves from the tops of trees! Dare to pet the terrifying, two-headed, …
Dan at the Eco-Farm Conference February 5, 2007
I've been writing about the travels of our fruit buyer Dan a great deal lately. There are two reasons - first is that Dan is very active in seeking out great farmers to work with, and second is that …
The Orange Test
I think that we sometimes forget that technology is found as equally in shop class as it is in an iPod. Technology doesn't have to be wi-fi or silicon-based to be exciting or accessible to us. It can …
Detective Dan and the Citrus Freeze January 22, 2007
You've probably heard a great deal this week about the citrus freeze that attacked California just like Mr. Cold-Miser laid it down over South Town in a fit of stop-animation history. With all the …
Super Banana Lady January 15, 2007
I've always had an affinity for wacky superheroes. Something about doing good while being a geek just cracks me up. Take the Wonder Twins, Zan and Jana, and their pet monkey Gleek, for example - part …
Connection January 8, 2007
It's the little things that keep me going. The bits of life that compress into diamonds that make me laugh and feel connected. Like the time my friends Matt and Maria ordered an elegant seafood meal …
Happiness is. . . Folate & Fruit January 2, 2007
Well, you made it through the holidays. Mom assured you that she would be "just fine" on the floor of the guest bedroom while dad noted that the blow-up camping mattress smelled like the battleship he …
I’d like to give the world a Cara-Cara December 26, 2006
It's 1982, and I'm feeling nervous. Expectant, happy adult faces stare up at my two younger sisters and me as we stand in the spotlight of the annual holiday talent show. My mom is crouched on the …
Red light, Orange Light, Pink Light. December 17, 2006
We're up in Cloverdale heading into the misty wet clouds on a small mountain in Sonoma County. Raised a suburban Philadelphia kid, I lucked out by marrying into my wife's family, which on her mother's …
Transition Tanslations December 11 2006
Several seasonal fruit transitions always remind me to look up and notice the changing time of year. The most obvious is the change from summer into fall when we see the end of the stone fruit (fruits …
Let’s Make a Modern Myth December 4, 2006
Demeter, the wife of Zeus, mother of Persephone, goddess of the harvest, is biting her nails. Her hair is a mess, and she's still in her pajamas/toga. She looks like she's been up for months. …
Annual Satsuma Poetry Slam!
Yes, it is the annual Satsuma Zooma slam. A fruit-based poetry slam that churns through a metaphorical blender here at The FruitGuys to produce a smackin' smoothie of fruit love. It also seems to …
FruitGuy Noir in: “Rome & The Pink Lady” October 30, 2006
She was a red but with a hint of golden-green about her. I found her hanging around with the ones they said were a bit sweet and tart. They called her Lady. She corrected them calmly: "It's Pink …
Amazing Asian Pears October 23, 2006
With a wink to the great tradition of sarcasm, Dan tells me that his fruit-buying skills are so good that he can tell the difference between the Niitaka and Shinko Asian pear by the way it hangs on …
Dan at The Apple Farm October 9, 2006
Dan cut west over the Sonoma hills and headed toward Mendocino. The dark-steel-grey refrigerated FruitGuys truck hummed along as he descended into the Anderson valley, following 128 west through the …
