It's amazing how one little incident can pull you out of a funk. How a single idea or need will bring back a passion that lay dormant for far too long. I think you can see where this is going, so it would be unnecessary for me to tell you that I experienced just that very thing recently - but I will anyway. (Like I just did.) I pride myself on my unusual ways of relating information to the masses. The manner in which I approach a project is something I don't work very hard at as it comes to me quite naturally. I like that trait. It keeps eyes on the proverbial (or real) page or butts in seats ..read more

Life lately has been unusual. Odd. Off, if you will. There have been many challenges, but I still want to take care of my loyal readers. Those trials and tribulations have caused me not to have a decent idea for this month's column, but I did come up with something, and it's somewhat timely. It has to do with a piece I wrote 10 years ago for my local Sherlockian club, and it will do just fine here. Let's see what my brain came up with at age 43, shall we? As most of us know, A Study in Scarlet (STUD) was first released to the world on November 21, 1887. That fact made its usual rounds on Fac ..read more

It's very satisfying to be able to assist someone on a project. I've had the honor of doing it quite a few times, and it's always great to see the final product. I've helped with papers, presentations, articles, and other means of relaying information about Sherlock Holmes to the world, and over the last few years I've been the chronological consultant for a book that has just come out. I was lucky enough to get a complimentary copy for helping, and it is gorgeous! Wait until you see this thing!! It was back in June 2020 when I was first contacted about assisting with chronological questions ..read more

On my lunch hour at work, I like to watch videos on YouTube and check out whatever strikes my fancy for that day. I’ll watch just about anything, but I try to find something that will cause me not to get too involved in the subject. I know me, and I will become very distracted for the rest of the day and my mind will torture me if I don’t investigate more. Now, working for the government means that some people think we take three-hour lunches and at least ten coffee breaks a day. That may or may not be true, but as a federal employee I’m afraid I can say no more. One video I watched recently o ..read more

Being a part of a hobby means inner-interest trading between participants. Someone who knows your particular tastes for the ol' bookshelf will come across something and immediately think of you. Before you know it the item will be happily resting in its own spot in the case - after being perused and explored for a bit, of course. Well, that happened to me recently and it was totally unexpected and unnecessary, and that makes it even better. However, the gift came with an additional gift. That was even more unexpected. It's not uncommon for book people to find hidden little treasures inside t ..read more

Something that most of you already know about me is that one day I will become a hermit. I’ll say goodbye to everyone and then basically vanish. And recently that goal (destiny?) has really gotten a huge boost, so much so that I have started keeping a journal of the things I need to do to accomplish it in the semi-near future. But my chronological cronies won’t have any of it. Even with my admissions of dreams of disappearing they continue to send me missives of all types with issues concerning our subset to pursue. Deep stuff, too. Serious quandaries a-plenty. And I love it! (I did ask them t ..read more

I often find myself in complete awe of other blogs - especially Studies in Starrett by Ray Betzner. It focuses exclusively on one person - Charles Vincent Emerson Starrett - and his incredible body of work. (Check it out at .) What amazes me is that, even with such a limited focus, Ray never seems to run out of fresh topics to talk about, and he posts several times a month! I struggle with one post a month (though I am working on changing that number). The passion for his subject is evident, and his knowledge of it is probably unsurpassed on this planet or any other. On a selfish note, I am th ..read more

As you know, if you've read some of my posts on here lately, I've struggled with remaining in the Sherlockian hobby. I still am, but I'm working on it. I have left behind many a-hobby in the past few years, and I'm looking for something that really sparks me. This still does, but I tire of some of the sillier things that happen when you get too many humans together in a passionate pursuit. But, without going into specifics, please know that I am not referring to my fellow chronologists. They've been very encouraging and patient with me, and I am grateful. Even with my being unsure, I still wan ..read more

It's amazing what one can gather up in the name of a hobby over time. You start looking through old files and photos with the intention of doing a little housecleaning, and you see things that you cannot for the life of you remember why you saved them. Still, it's fun to go through some of them and see what's there. I did that this last week, and I noticed something specific that I seem to have a knack for collecting. The problem is that I never actually use them. Let me explain. I was actually looking for a specific thing that I thought would make an interesting blog post, and while I never ..read more

To love chronology is to love a puzzle. A mystery that can't be solved. A jigsaw with pieces missing, or with some from another box. It is to accept that even when you think you've got it all figured out that an idea or finding will come along and challenge everything. I have said many times that what I love about Sherlockian chronology is that it's almost solvable. That little sliver of trouble is what keeps our fingers tapping on our overworked keyboards. The reason I mention all of this is because of something that I recently read by one of our very own ilk. In the March 2024 issue of TIME ..read more