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
Weed, Water, Thrift
I just got home from an intense 48 hours of going to the beach, watering all my potted plants (gophers), and collecting more teacups for my dining-room side hustle selling dishes. It looked like sunshine, but only the first half day. After that, clouds and more clouds, but good for working in the yard weather.… Continue reading Weed, Water, Thrift
Show Me the Numbers!
(re-run) At a recent wedding rehearsal dinner, I sat across from a well-off, pension-receiving white guy who started a conversation about immigration. Sorry for him that he did not know he was sitting across from a Spanish teacher/book author who has studied and followed Hispanic cultures for most of my life. And I’m old. To… Continue reading Show Me the Numbers!
Book Betrayal
I just finished a book, a novel, one published twenty-two years ago. I found the author a few months back and have read nine or ten of her titles. She writes from multiple points of view –there’s always a judge, a prosecutor, a defense attorney, a budding romance somewhere, and the protagonist and appropriate family… Continue reading Book Betrayal
Life is Short, Use the Pretty Bowl
Maybe it’s a senior-citizen thing. Maybe it’s because I’ve lost three neighbors in the last 14 months. Whatever it is, it’s my new mantra: use the good stuff in my day-to-day living. What am I saving it for? My life is more than half over. No one lives into their one hundred and twenties. I’ve… Continue reading Life is Short, Use the Pretty Bowl
Hot Lipstick and a Missed Wedding
(re-run) This morning (Sunday) I ran out to get the San Francisco Chronicle, bought fruit, and then dropped off a library book, mailed a letter, and parked in front of CVS, waiting for the pharmacy to open. Why not run errands later, you ask? Because the Chronicle sells out fairly early, so I settled in… Continue reading Hot Lipstick and a Missed Wedding
Lucky Thursday
(re-run) The week started off with its share of problems. My sister’s stimulus payment came in the form of a debit card, which is hilarious because she is in no position to shop. I took the debit card to my bank, and they would not let me deposit it into my account. Sis has no… Continue reading Lucky Thursday
It Must Be Getting Close to Summer when . . .
(re-run from 2019) I am sitting in my fave chair. My adult son just told me over the phone how to unfreeze my laptop (turn it off and then back on). I can hear the squeak, squeak, squeak of the swings in the park next to me. The windows are open just enough to let… Continue reading It Must Be Getting Close to Summer when . . .
I’m Glad I Asked
(re-run) The other day I went to the dermatologist for the second time in two months. The physician’s assistant from the first appointment gave me a full body skin check since I’ve had melanoma. When I pointed out the strange colorless bump above my eye, she said, “I don’t do eyes. Go see the other… Continue reading I’m Glad I Asked
Between Chorus Concerts
One chorus concert is in the bag, in the record books, wrapped up. The second one is in less than four hours. I’m hoping it will go as well as yesterday’s, which was not perfect on my part. In my defense, I woke up with a splitting eye headache, a runny nose, and lots of… Continue reading Between Chorus Concerts
Worst Professor Ever
(re-run) She taught the research class at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. I needed the course to earn my master’s degree. It would be easy. I’d written dozens of research papers at Iowa State. She said we could choose any topic. All we had to do was take a position, defend it with an… Continue reading Worst Professor Ever
FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER! 