(re-run) The power is out. I was in the middle of a movie when everything shut off. Soon my neighbors texted me, asking me to report the outage to PG& E. The more the better, they said. A few minutes after that, I received a robocall. The outage was affecting 5000 customers. The power also… Continue reading Off the Power Grid
Month: January 2022
It’s Never Too Late
(re-run) Three weeks ago, I made a summer playlist. Does that seem silly? The last day of summer is the day after tomorrow. I included songs with summer in the title, like Hot Fun in the Summertime by Sly and the Family Stone, Summer Breeze by Seals and Croft, Summer in the City by the… Continue reading It’s Never Too Late
It’s a Small World
Today was a meet-up hike, my third time with Randy as our fearless leader. It was sunny with little to no mud and lots of cows. About twenty of us, plus four small dogs, walked five miles in two and a half hours. The great part is that the meet-up hikers go to places I’d… Continue reading It’s a Small World
Apple Tree
(re-run) When I bought the house, I inherited the apple tree. I didn’t realize how prolific it was until one day, after the gardeners left, I noticed a line of fat apples sitting on my side fence. One of the gardeners had picked them with the intention of taking them home, but he must’ve forgotten.… Continue reading Apple Tree
Grizzly Bear!
(re-run) An Amazon robot punctured a can of Bear Mace, sending 80 employees to the hospital before Christmas. It reminded me of this true account as told to me at a holiday party by a friend’s daughter’s boyfriend’s father figure named Bob. In 2008 you take your wife, Liza, and your teen-aged kids to Alaska.… Continue reading Grizzly Bear!
A Good Dog Neighbor
(re-run) Yesterday my son and I had lunch at the local sandwich shop. He brought his little dog, half Chihuahua, half terrier. I fed Violet scraps of lettuce under the table while we ate. She thinks she’s a vegetarian. Afterward, we followed the usual routine and came back to my house, where Violet could run… Continue reading A Good Dog Neighbor
A Lasting Love
(re-run) Maurice was a sophomore at Riordan Catholic High School for boys in San Francisco. He played tenor sax in the marching band. His buddy, Dave, was dating a girl named Sheila from Mercy Catholic High School for girls, and he suggested that Maurice date her older sister, Colleen. The foursome went to the football… Continue reading A Lasting Love
Kuma, the Teddy-bear Akita
(re-run) Beth’s husband had two Akitas. She wanted to get one for their six-year-old son. She got Lee a puppy and named him Kuma, which is Japanese for Bear. The two older dogs kept attacking the puppy. The marriage wasn’t going well, either. Beth and her son moved out and got their own place and… Continue reading Kuma, the Teddy-bear Akita
The Bonus Daisy Post
(re-run from 2018) Normally, I write about my rescue dog on a monthly basis, on her adoption anniversary date, the 26th of December. Consider this a bonus post, since she has been making news these past two days. Every morning I get into the hot tub with my cup of black tea, and Daisy perches… Continue reading The Bonus Daisy Post
Rocky Mountain Low
(re-run) He was the good-looking cousin of my best friend. Tall, tan, bearded, and a killer smile added up to gorgeous. For me, it was love at first sight. Marcus had moved from Minnesota to Colorado to be near his sister. He asked if I wanted to come out and go backpacking with him. I… Continue reading Rocky Mountain Low
FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER! 