Author: Susan

I do this blog for PG audiences and another one for R audiences with Bae Bliss.

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 baby rattler, cold-blooded, ER, garage, garden hose, Girl Scout camp, pool cover, rattlesnake, reptiles, snake bite, venomLeave 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

Father’s Day Hike

Posted in boyfriend, California, Father's Day, hiking, humor, memoir, nature, outdoors, relationships, trees, turkey vultures, worstLeave a comment

(re-run) Several years ago on Father’s Day, my three kids went to their dad’s for a barbeque, and I went on a late-day hike with my (now ex) boyfriend. He’s one of those guys who doesn’t believe in rules and always thinks his way is the best way. We took a hike on the west… Continue reading Father’s Day Hike

Weirdest First Date or Most Purrfect?

Posted in beach, Berkeley, Cal, California, cats, dating, firsts, grad school, Match.comLeave a comment

(re-run) Mary met him on Match.com. Luke had dark hair and eyes and was pale but cute. He drove a Mustang, and Mary loved Mustangs. She was a bit older, but they were both deep into their twenties. He was earning his PhD at Cal and was a teaching assistant, so that meant he was… Continue reading Weirdest First Date or Most Purrfect?

His Baby, She Wrote Him a Letter

Posted in best, California, dating, firsts, getting dumped, humor, last, military, relationships, VietnamLeave a comment

(re-run) Holly moved from San Francisco to the East Bay and missed her old classmates. The smart kids and the popular kids had already established their cliques. She was an outsider. Holly had no close friends with which to share her excitement and concerns at Bishop O’Dowd High School, even though she was kind of… Continue reading His Baby, She Wrote Him a Letter

Pavlov’s Perfume

Posted in animal adoption, animal rescue, animal shelter, ARF, Belgian Malinois, California, dogs, Houdini, humor, Jack Russell terrier, memoir, Pavlov, pet, pom chi, relationshipsLeave a comment

(re-run) My girlfriend, who shall remain nameless, lest someone recognize her on this page (okay, it’s Suanne), has a three-time rescue dog like mine. Hers also started out as a voluntary surrender puppy after his owner first lost a home in the Redding fire. Or possibly he was at the Redding shelter and got shipped… Continue reading Pavlov’s Perfume

FOMO, YOLO, and YOYO

Posted in aging, attitude, best, birthday, blondes, California, caregiver, girlfriends, hiking, humor, memoir, music, relationships, summerLeave a comment

(re-run) You know summer has begun when you are constantly checking your email and calendar to make sure you’re not missing out on some live music that evening. Every town has its own series of music in the park. If you are willing to drive, you can hear it six evenings a week for free,… Continue reading FOMO, YOLO, and YOYO