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
The Blond-tourage
Every woman over fifty gets the same advice from her hairdresser — lighten up your 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 you. So… Continue reading The Blond-tourage
Moon Over Lafayette
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
Escape
(re-run) Long before dating sites and the personal computer were invented, Scott answered a personal ad in the Contra Costa Times. Remember newspapers? They were ink-on-paper affairs that folded in half, but not shiny like a magazine. A magazine was a booklet of ads, stories, and photographs with a theme that was published weekly or… Continue reading Escape
Feeling Better
(re-run) I have some down days every year, but mostly I don’t. I know I’m lucky. I have also aligned my life to feel better. Coincidentally, a relative’s therapist told her the five things she needs every day to get out of her funk. Nature – I grew up outside in Iowa. As kids we… Continue reading Feeling Better
Return to the Scene of the Crime
Two weeks ago, I tried to burn my house down. I came home in time to turn off the burner under the hard-boiled eggs. Eight of them had become missiles and hung in pieces from every surface in the kitchen. Four of them turned black in the Teflon pan. When I put the key in… Continue reading Return to the Scene of the Crime
A Night with the Girls
(re-run) If you haven’t seen Thelma and Louise in a while or ever, it’s time to do it. My friend rented an entire movie theater for a screening with a bunch of women last week. I usually head to my beach town every other Thursday, but the movie party was on a Thursday night, so… Continue reading A Night with the Girls
No Christmas Tree for Me
(re-run) Eight Christmases in this house and only two trees. Both were living, and they got planted in my yard. Guess what? My yard is full. That’s what happens when you get rid of your grass, fire your gardener, and watch volunteer trees grow on their own, self-planting trees with a little help from the… Continue reading No Christmas Tree for Me
The Single Dad and the Dental Hygienist
(re-run) Bob’s friend had a dental office, and Bob would stop by to visit. Joy, the married dental hygienist, offered to fix him up with single clients getting their teeth cleaned. If the women were game for a blind date with Bob, he was game, too. Joy would call Bob with the woman’s phone number.… Continue reading The Single Dad and the Dental Hygienist
Keep Your Nose Clean
When I was a young adult, this expression was a warning to us to straighten up and fly right – to stay out of trouble. It was said to young men more than it was said to young women, but it meant that things would come our way if we followed the rules. Today’s young… Continue reading Keep Your Nose Clean
Get Back
Who knew that John Lennon could be silly, smiley, and fun? Most books I’ve read about him portrayed him as surly and not too nice. Peter Jackson’s eight-hour Beatles’ documentary (yes, 8) this past weekend shows the lighter side of John Lennon. Aside from the introduction where Jackson misstates the ages of Paul and George… Continue reading Get Back
Daisy’s DNA
My three-time rescue dog looks like a Jack Russell terrier. The vet calls her a Jack Russell. She sort of looks like a skinny Eddie from Frazier. But that’s where the comparison ends. Daisy is freakishly smart. She can open doors and escape yards by jumping over the gate or digging under it. She can… Continue reading Daisy’s DNA
Where’s the Beef Going?
My sister fell out of her recliner at her nursing home (board and care home, actually) and landed on her face and her glasses. The glasses were badly bent, so I needed to go to Costco on the DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING to see if they would bend them back into shape with their magical optical… Continue reading Where’s the Beef Going?
FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER! 