Trudy worked at an engineering firm. Joe was the visiting copy machine repair man, or as her office mates called him, the Xerox guy. One day Trudy had to make copies. Joe was at the machine, repairing away. “Oh,” she said. “No copies for me!” “Hey there,” Joe said. “We should catch dinner sometime.” “Okay.”… Continue reading Moon Over Lafayette
The Blond-tourage
(re-run) Every woman over fifty gets the same advice from her hairdresser — to lighten up her hair. As our skin fades and our looks do, too, we need brighter lipstick, sparkly-er clothing and blonder locks to stay looking as young as we can. My apologies to women of color; this may not apply to… Continue reading The Blond-tourage
Virtual Tip Jar Fail
I love live music, and the pandemic has made it harder to find. Some of the local bands have gone online, putting out their virtual tip jar while they play for an hour or two. Sometimes they are sponsored by a business, sometimes they do it from their apartments. I love the Beatles, so when… Continue reading Virtual Tip Jar Fail
The Uses for a Nine Year Old
My Girl Friday (who works for me on Mondays) has a daughter, who sometimes comes along with her to work. Now that her daughter is nine, she is useful in many ways. 1. She entertains my dogs. 2. She entertains my sister, giving her someone to watch. 3. She brings music into the house, since… Continue reading The Uses for a Nine Year Old
Rainy Sunday Morning Surprise
(re-run) I am too cheap to pay $3.00 for a newspaper carrier to deliver the San Francisco Sunday Chronicle. Yes, I am a dinosaur. I still read physical newspapers, eight per week. When I discovered that I was being charged $6.00 for a $3.00 paper, I stopped my Sunday subscription and started picking it up… Continue reading Rainy Sunday Morning Surprise
Rescue Dog Month # 7
(re-run from 2018) Daisy’s purple collar is missing. She had it on when she got up, but an hour later it is gone, along with her license and I.D. tag with my phone number on it. Where could it be? And how did it come off? I’ve walked the entire back yard and haven’t found… Continue reading Rescue Dog Month # 7
Here Comes Trouble
(re-run) I picked up some bathroom tile today, and Mark, the warehouse guy, told me that the floor tile for my bath reno was on back order. “It’s not that special,” I said. “It’s a bunch of colors spattered across the tile. I liked it because it’s forgiving and I have three dogs.” “I sure… Continue reading Here Comes Trouble
Grabby Guy’s Goodness
Brenda was a grad student at Tufts in Boston. She was tired of dating and was thinking of getting her doctorate in nutrition after she got her Master’s degree. Brenda’s two roommates, who were also a couple, told Brenda she needed a night out to go dancing. Brenda got ready and then waited for them… Continue reading Grabby Guy’s Goodness
Lovely Rita, Meter Maid
(re-run) Yesterday I spent most of the day in overly-metered Walnut Creek. The town of walnut orchards has turned into a buzzing destination for shoppers. It boasts a Nordstrom’s, Neiman Marcus (Needless Mark-up), Tiffany, Apple, Macy’s, Gap, Coach, Tesla, Pottery Barn, and every high-end store and chain store one can think of. People come from… Continue reading Lovely Rita, Meter Maid
The Hill That Would Not Hold
(re-run from 2024) My neighbors’ hill collapsed fifteen months ago in the crazy January rains of 2023. For months nothing was happening, and I concluded that a lot of guys had looked at the hill and had either refused to bid the job or had bid it way too high. A bulldozer appeared in November,… Continue reading The Hill That Would Not Hold
Three Stools Down
Tonight, driving home from my third Halloween party, the huge moon shining through wispy clouds, I realized that the bad feelings I used to have about some of the spots along the freeway are gone. My ex has moved out of state. I no longer have to fight for time at Christmas, and my out-of-town… Continue reading Three Stools Down
Butterflies in the Park
re-run from 2020 It’s the day before Halloween. I was able to walk my dog for the first time in two weeks since the stitches in my lower leg (melanoma) were removed yesterday. Pepper was happy to get out of the house but went back inside with the lure of a beefy treat. That meant… Continue reading Butterflies in the Park
Phantom of the Halloween Party
(re-run) Roberto put on the white mask and black cape and headed to WPLJ’s in Walnut Creek for his singles’ club annual Halloween party. Available middle-aged women milled around the bar in their skimpy alter-ego outfits. There were: Slutty witches Slutty fairy tale characters Slutty mermaids Slutty nurses and slutty vampires. Oh, which one to… Continue reading Phantom of the Halloween Party
There’s Bitchy and There’s Old-lady Bitchy
(re-run) I could’ve called it My Bitchy Saturday but opted instead for the title above. It started off with the grocery store clerk putting my bag of apples at the bottom of the bag, then placing two dozen eggs, a pound of turkey, and a container of cake on top of them. Yes, I bought… Continue reading There’s Bitchy and There’s Old-lady Bitchy
