Digging a Hole

Pep Talks, Warnings & Screeds by George Singleton, illustrated by Daniel Wallace

When planting a magnolia tree, it's easiest to dig a hole that you know is much deeper than the root ball, put the tree in the hole, eyeball it, take the tree back out, then fill in another foot of the loose dirt back into the hole. Do not dig, place in the tree, say to yourself "about six more inches," take out the tree, dig, place the tree, dig, place the tree, say "one more inch," take out the tree, dig, then plan the tree. Make it easy as possible.

This is similar to writing more than you need to, in case you missed it previously. Write a bunch, then take out.

Or: Make a big pot of vegetable soup. Put in everything possible. Later, take out the vegetables that you don't like. I'm not a big fan of okra, but I know that if flavors soup well.

Don't eat the bay leaf, by the way.

When making chili, drain the fat.