I look around and see athletes with tattoos, ex-military people with tattoos, mothers of small children with tattoos . . .
Category: California
As Fresh as a Daisy, Dog Story
When you’re a dog, a rescue dog, one that has been given back twice, your world is filled with fear, loud trucks, and scary men. So when you have to share your beach house with a big guy with facial hair, another woman who kind of looks like the one that feeds you, and another… Continue reading As Fresh as a Daisy, Dog Story
Uncle Frank and the Jar of Coins
I grew up with three uncles, one in Colorado, another on the other side of the state, and one near my home town in Des Moines, Iowa. Uncle Frank was older than the other uncles, but since his daughter, Nina, was my age, I hardly noticed. He was married to my grandma’s younger sister. They… Continue reading Uncle Frank and the Jar of Coins
Wiener Dog Versus Rat
Long ago, when I had three school-aged children off at their respective schools, I sat at my desk writing during the quiet of the day when I heard the Dachshund barking. He was somewhere in our spacious backyard. I ignored it at first, but when the barking didn’t subside, I decided I’d better go check… Continue reading Wiener Dog Versus Rat
Must Love Dogs
(re-run) John had a date with a woman named Sally. She had just rescued a dog and named it Muffin. John wanted to go skim boarding at the beach, and he asked Sally to come with him. Of course she had to bring Muffin, her Golden Retriever. When they got to San Gregorio beach a… Continue reading Must Love Dogs
Late-night Loser
(re-run) We decided to meet at Bing Crosby’s. I took a seat at the bar, and asked for water. After all, I’d had two glasses of wine already, waiting for him to get off work at the TV station and to drive all the way to Walnut Creek from Marin County. I listened to the… Continue reading Late-night Loser
I Wish You Would’ve Died
Imagine a white woman from Iowa teaching Spanish in a town that was one fourth Latino. Imagine coming into the classroom mid-year after a string of substitutes. On my first day, a student said, “You’re our 12th sub. How long are you going to last?” It was a brand new middle school in Ramona in… Continue reading I Wish You Would’ve Died
Getting Away from all the No, No, No’s
(re-run) My mom, bless her heart, had to keep five children in line, mostly by herself. She did this by keeping everyone in his or her place, as in, “No, you can’t do that!” I just found out that my younger sister also wanted to play clarinet in the band, like I did. But I… Continue reading Getting Away from all the No, No, No’s
Don’t Get a Sun Burn
(re-run) You think you know someone. You’ve sat across from your brother in law at countless holiday meals. You raised your kids together, although far enough away that you only saw them four or five times a year. You know George loves Monterey, but you didn’t know the whole story. You knew he’d been in… Continue reading Don’t Get a Sun Burn
Be Careful What You Wish For
(re-run) I’ve lived in my little house for nine years and two months (this happened two years ago) The neighborhood is about 48 years old, and the trees that are here are huge. My pie-shaped lot is wide and shallow in the back. Las Trampas Ridge is due west, beyond the freeway, but I could… Continue reading Be Careful What You Wish For
FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER! 