Category Archives: semi-fiction

41 BLANCO STREET AUSTIN by Peter Nolan Smith

April 25, 2025 – 7:37 am

In late January of 1975 I drove a blind piano-tuner in a Delta 88 from Miami Beach to the East Texas. Everyone at the Sea Breeze Hotel on Collins Avenue had warned me about Old Bill’s driving. I thought that the old coots had been kidding, but outside of La Grange the blind man ordered […]

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SOME CHOWDAH, BOBBY by Peter Nolan Smith

April 23, 2025 – 4:42 am

Last holiday season Richie Boy had hired me to help with sales and schlepping merchandise between dealers and jewelers. Hlove and I worked together to make sales, but business on 47th Street was murder. There was no foot traffic and my old customers hated the street and all the hawkers shilling to buy gold. “Back […]

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THE POLITESSE OF PALM BEACH COPS by Peter Nolan Smith

April 15, 2025 – 1:16 pm

Back in the summer of 2008 I was taking care of a Palm Beach mansion. It was deep off-season and hurricane season was coming on fast. One evening I went over to my friend’s house close to the center on town. After dinner Lisa killed me at scrabble. She scored 33 points for xi, which […]

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Mad Dogs And Farangs in the Sun

April 13, 2025 – 9:22 am

Last week I met Jamie Parker on Soi Chaiyapoon. I hadn’t seen him in ages. He looked ten years younger and said, “Botox. Only cost 5000 baht.” No wrinkles around his eyes and those furrows in his forehead had been smoothed out like 5-star hotel sheets. I was a little jealous. “So now you’re ready […]

By Peter | Also posted in 2000s, farangs, friends, Pattaya, weather | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

SICK BUFFALO FOR EVERYONE 2012

April 13, 2025 – 1:18 am

Several years ago my future ex-wife’s brother-in-law received a phone call from his brother. Bok and his son were in the hospital. They had had a motorsai accident. My future ex-wife hung up the phone. “Neither of them are dead?” I asked in Thai “No.” This was good news. Bok and his son Beer were […]

By Peter | Also posted in 2000s, animals, Drinking, Driving, motorbikes, Thailand, Traditions | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)