They Forgot to Invite Me to Christmas—So I Bought a Mountain. When They Came to Take It, the Deputy Was Already Waiting.

meetings. At exactly five o’clock, I was in my car driving three hours up the mountain. I slept on that air mattress, woke at five, and drove back down to make my nine o’clock meetings.

The work was physical in a way my regular job never was. I sanded dark cherry cabinets until sawdust lived in my eyelashes. I replaced brass globe lights with warm track continue reading …