The college mixer was hosted by the men in Lorch House in Friley Hall, in the heart of the Iowa State campus. Tappan House, the top two floors of my dorm, Barton Hall, was invited. Yes, I am old. Yes, dorm floors are co-ed now. This was in the days of the dinosaurs. The usual… Continue reading Bricks, Ricks, & Cardboard
Month: May 2021
The Case of the Missing Creepy Portrait
When I had an antique store and people were constantly bringing me stuff to buy, I acquired some large portraits from the 1800s, the kind where the eyes follow you around the room. I hung three of my favorites in the upstairs back hallway of the big marriage house, only to find out years later… Continue reading The Case of the Missing Creepy Portrait
The Double Dump
(re-run) They’d met on Match. His name was Ready for Adventure. Larry chose a classy woman who turned out to be several weeks older than he was. “How does it feel to be a cougar?” he teased her. Julie liked nice things. She liked to dress up. She liked to stay home and cook. Larry… Continue reading The Double Dump
A Double Double
(re-run) They met online. Veronica liked his blue eyes, just like her late husband’s. He liked her lean frame and told her so. She enjoyed the morning email exchanges for a couple of weeks. He harassed her for eating at Chick-fil-A since the business had just come out as anti-gay. She was a Southern girl… Continue reading A Double Double
The Tennis Shoe and the Broken Window
It was senior year in high school. I was on my last semester of PE, my least favorite class. I maintained a straight-A average in all other classes. Not PE. It alternated between a B and a C. I was feeling good. We were in our next-to last unit, the physical fitness award. I already… Continue reading The Tennis Shoe and the Broken Window
A Corny Tale
(re-run) It all started with a post on Facebook, showing how your average American doesn’t know how to shuck corn. If you were from Iowa in the 60’s, then you know how. We weren’t well off. As a matter of fact, people would give us bags of food, like homegrown apples, tomatoes, or corn. Our… Continue reading A Corny Tale
Ungrateful Daisy Dog
(re-run) I was sick today, and my plans to walk the dogs with my girlfriend were dashed. To my surprise, she offered to walk them for me. “You can’t walk them together,” I said. “It’s too hard.” “That’s okay. I’ll come walk each of them separately.” “Okay . .. ?” I had the pinch collar… Continue reading Ungrateful Daisy Dog
My Hairy Mole
Now that I’ve had one melanoma scare (it was removed), I am on the look-out for suspicious-looking anything. I buy sun shirts but have yet to wear them. I no longer eat lunch on my chaise lounge, legs in the sun. So, when I found the mole on my neck, which has always been there,… Continue reading My Hairy Mole
Trapped Inside
As the roses explode in red, peach and orange colors across my two yards, I am stuck inside. Through the window I see mounds of yellow blossoms on the Jerusalem sage plants, both front and back, red and white petals on the Hot Lips sage, purple tips on the English lavender, and every other color… Continue reading Trapped Inside
Parking Lot Pick-up
(re-run) Edith and her friend, Laura, were bored. It was Saturday night, and they’d been at their all-girls’ school, Holy Names, for a whole week. It was time to find some guys, to find a party. They pulled into Berkeley and headed for Fraternity Row. Laura spotted someone she had dated before and rolled down… Continue reading Parking Lot Pick-up
FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER! 