Category: helpful strangers

Grabby Guy’s Goodness

Posted in bar fight, best, Boston, dancing, dating, friends, grad school, helpful strangers, humor, marriage, relationshipsLeave a comment

Brenda was a grad student at Tufts in Boston. She was tired of dating and was thinking of getting her doctorate in nutrition after she got her Master’s degree. Brenda’s two roommates, who were also a couple, told Brenda she needed a night out to go dancing. Brenda got ready and then waited for them… Continue reading Grabby Guy’s Goodness

Say What in Santa Cruz

Posted in California, college, dating, friends, helpful strangers, high school, marriage proposal, relationships, Santa Cruz, siblings, vacationLeave a comment

Jennifer met Brad at San Leandro High school. She wasn’t allowed to date, but she was allowed to go to junior prom. The next year Brad asked Jennifer to Senior Ball. It was in San Francisco, and afterward, they went to Pier 39 with everyone else in their limo. Brad had gotten blue contacts for… Continue reading Say What in Santa Cruz

A Good Dog Neighbor

Posted in animal rescue, California, caregiver, dog training, helpful strangers, humor, memoir, neighbors, relationships, sonLeave a comment

Yesterday my son and I had lunch together 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

Grizzly Bear!

Posted in Alaska, California, friends, grizzly bear, guardian angel, guns, helpful strangers, hiking, relationships, restaurant, survival, travel, trucks, vacation, worstLeave a comment

In 2008 you take your wife, Liza, and your teenaged kids to Alaska. You stay near the Princess Lodge in a fishing cabin on the Kenai Peninsula. It’s the third week of July, so it doesn’t get completely dark until around midnight. After dinner you suggest a hike in the woods along the Kenai River… Continue reading Grizzly Bear!

Hamburgers for Breakfast

Posted in California, cars, fireworks, food cravings, helpful strangers, humor, Maine, mom, Ohio, siblings, travelLeave a comment

Kelly and her husband went back to her home state of Maine for Christmas, but their trip was cut short when his mother went missing. They left their brown Chevy van in Maine and took the first flight home to help find her. It turned out she had gone down a ravine in a car… Continue reading Hamburgers for Breakfast