Month: June 2026

Kuma, the Teddy-bear Akita

Posted in 4th of July, Akita, animal training, animals, boyfriend, California, casino, dating, divorce, dogs, father figure, Japan, kayaking, lake, Lake Tahoe, puppy, river, swimmingLeave a comment

(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

Massage Talk, Otter Card, and Scavenger Find

Posted in #MeToo, blog, blog posts, chiropractor, football, library, library card, massage, memoir, news, Prius, scavenger, South Dakota, stomach issues, TVLeave a comment

(re-run) Every other Tuesday I treat myself to a full-hour massage at my chiropractor’s office. Curtis is awesome. He can make this senior citizen feel almost 50 again. Curtis asks lots of questions while he is working on my sore body parts. For the past several months I haven’t been able to talk, have barely… Continue reading Massage Talk, Otter Card, and Scavenger Find

Belly-up Beetle

Posted in alcohol abuse, beetle, California, cars, dating, drinking, drugs, guardian angel, high school, marijuana, memoir, relationships, Volkswagen, worstsLeave a comment

(re-run) Curtis drove the Volkswagen, 1969 vintage Beetle. Smoking George, his wing man, brought the weed. They’d met their dates at a party. Stacy and Camille went to San Leandro High. Curtis and George went to Castro Valley. Curtis liked Camille. George got Stacy. They all partied at a friend of a friend’s house in… Continue reading Belly-up Beetle

The Day my Dog Herded Me to the ER

Posted in ambulance, California, chiropractor, concussion, dog behaviors, dogs, ER, headache, Iowa, memoir, Omaha, orthotics, paramedics, pregnancy, repair man, worstLeave a comment

(re-run) Way back when, I had two children and a rare free day. The kindergartener was going on an all-day field trip. The two-year-old was going to daycare for the day. I had hours ahead of me to do all the yard work and gardening that I could squeeze in.  I put on some old… Continue reading The Day my Dog Herded Me to the ER

Grizzly Bear!

Posted in Alaska, Amazon, bears, California, church, friends, grizzly bear, guardian angel, guns, hunting, nature, relationships, travel, vacation, worst1 Comment

(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. His name is Bob. In 2008 you take your wife, Liza, and your teen-aged kids… Continue reading Grizzly Bear!

Staying Fit without a FitBit

Posted in cleaning, dancing, dogs, exercise, fitbit, gardening, gophers, hiking, memoir, Monterey county, moving, succulents, Zoom, ZumbaLeave a comment

(re-run) Today, before and after Zumba class on Zoom, the ladies were discussing how many steps we take during one class and how many calories we burn. This went on for a while, and I signed off. I don’t need a gadget to tell me if I am getting enough exercise. I have dogs. They… Continue reading Staying Fit without a FitBit

Michael Jackson’s Impact

Posted in best, California, dancing, Foreverland, friends, house party, humor, Jackson Five, memoir, Michael Jackson, music, party, relationships, singing, socializing, U.S. Marine, wine1 Comment

(re-run) I was a teenager when Michael Jackson became a household name. He was a stand-out in his brothers’ band, the Jackson Five. He was ten years old when he sang ABC, simple as 1 – 2- 3, Girl, I love you!  I watched MJ grow up. I bought his first solo album, Off the… Continue reading Michael Jackson’s Impact

Michael Jackson, Misunderstood or a Perve?

Posted in best, California, dancing, Foreverland, friends, house party, humor, Jackson Five, memoir, Michael Jackson, music, party, relationships, singing, socializing, U.S. Marine, wine2 Comments

(re-run) I was a teenager when Michael Jackson became a household name. He was a stand-out in his brothers’ band, the Jackson Five. He was ten years old when he sang ABC, simple as 1 – 2- 3, Girl, I love you!  I watched MJ grow up. I bought his first solo album, Off the… Continue reading Michael Jackson, Misunderstood or a Perve?

Rattlesnake Season

Posted in ER, garage, rattlesnake, venom, Girl Scout camp, pool cover, baby rattler, garden hose, snake bite, cold-blooded, reptilesLeave a comment

(re-run) It’s rattlesnake season here in the West.  Snakes are cold-blooded and love warm surfaces like rocks or sunny trails when they are cold, and dark and shady places when they are hot.  At night they curl up in the strangest locales – in coiled-up garden hoses, under the edge of pool covers, and now… Continue reading Rattlesnake Season

Just for the Halibut

Posted in back ache, California, cancer, Christmas, Facebook, father, Father's Day, funeral, hospital, Iowa, memoir, punster, Spain, Spanish, student teaching, teaching, VenezuelaLeave a comment

(re-run) Father’s Day has come and gone. I saw many black and white photos of men on Facebook, people my age honoring their deceased dads. I didn’t have a good photo of Dad to post, just silly ones or childhood ones. It never occurred to me 34 years ago that I would someday want a… Continue reading Just for the Halibut