Do You Want a Cookie, Little Girl?

(re-run) She ran a personal ad in the Contra Costa Times: Single white female looking for single Asian man. Her two previous boyfriends had been Asian. James called and left a message with his phone number on a Friday night. The next morning Pam checked her phone messages. She liked his voice as she listened… Continue reading Do You Want a Cookie, Little Girl?

Pennies from Heaven

(re-run) When I was sixteen, I saved up my babysitting money and went downtown to Cottage Grove Avenue in Des Moines, where there was a head shop filled with incense, hanging beads, roach clips, black light posters and tie dye. Although I wasn’t a pothead (I didn’t smoke cigarettes either), I enjoyed the ambience of… Continue reading Pennies from Heaven

Bringing a Friend on a First Worst

Frankie put an ad in the singles’ section of her town newspaper.  Burt answered the ad.  They talked on the phone several times, once for with three hours.  He told Frankie that he made plastic limbs as movie props. They were both in their late 20’s.  When Burt told her he lived with his mom,… Continue reading Bringing a Friend on a First Worst

The Contractor and the Jet Setter

It was Tom the contractor’s umpteenth date on Match.com.  The woman was from the same affluent town, was the same height as he was (he was being optimistic and not counting the two inches he’d lost by aging), and was ready to meet him at Bridges, the hot spot downtown with the best happy hour. … Continue reading The Contractor and the Jet Setter

Date with a Cad

Against her better judgment Svetlana met up with a man from Match and….drum roll….he met her expectations of the Cad. A cad is a man who is aware of the codes of conduct, which separate a gentleman from a ruffian, but finds himself unable to live up to them. Cads are capable of disguising themselves as good… Continue reading Date with a Cad

Bad Daisy, Rescue Dog

Fifteen months into owning Daisy, the Jack Russell terrier, we had a bad event in the park just now. I taught Daisy how to fetch a ball and have been playing with her in the park next to my house every day for months. The neighbor girls, ages 5 and 7, run out to meet… Continue reading Bad Daisy, Rescue Dog

Why Not to Date your Neighbor

Julie got divorced and moved into her new townhouse with her six-year-old son.  One day, when she was out walking her dog, a guy mowing his lawn turned off the mower and said hello. They chatted about her dog, and Julie mentioned that she had just moved in. Doug rode his bike a lot while… Continue reading Why Not to Date your Neighbor

The Pilot and the Petite Percussionist

He played the trumpet in community college. She played percussion. He was a sophomore; she was a freshman. He was short, she was shorter. He saw her get out of the car every day, with her boyfriend? No, it was just her brother, Jack. George was a pilot. She liked pilots. “Do you want to… Continue reading The Pilot and the Petite Percussionist

Spinning a Spider Story

(re-run) My strength and toning instructor loves to tell us trivia while we work out. Last week she said spiders are the most active between 6 and 8 p.m. and that the female spiders go out looking for food at that time. The males follow. Isn’t that just like a male anyway, to wait until… Continue reading Spinning a Spider Story