(re-run) It’s funny how a person’s perception of what is good changes with the circumstances. I used to look forward to my can of Diet Coke every day until I reached my mid-forties. Then the stuff was too hard on my stomach, and I gave it up. I used to look forward to my cup… Continue reading My Fake-Coffee Half Hour
Category: memoir
Social Butterfly
I remember it as clearly as yesterday. The visual part is a little fuzzy, but the words are still there, fifty plus years later. I was in the basement where my mom was doing yet another load of laundry. “There’s a slumber party Saturday night at Lisa’s. Can I go?” My mom put down the… Continue reading Social Butterfly
Grandfather Clock
(re-run) I am waiting for my grandfather clock to be delivered. It’s from my friend’s aunt’s estate. She didn’t want it. Her brother didn’t want it. It reminds me of my aunt and uncle’s clock in their house in Iowa. I’d spend the night with my cousin and listen to the clock chime every fifteen… Continue reading Grandfather Clock
The Best Ten Dollars Ever
When I was a kid, I walked everywhere. I went to a Bluebird or Campfire Girls meeting a few blocks away from home, and one day, on the way back, I saw a pale green leaf fluttering on the street. I picked it up, un-wadded it and discovered it was money. A ten-dollar bill. When… Continue reading The Best Ten Dollars Ever
The Moon Landing and a Funeral
The day we landed on the moon (July 20th, 1969), my parents took the family to a picnic/fishing spot at the Des Moines reservoir. I was going into high school in the fall, so it was a dorky thing to do on a Sunday, but hey? I couldn’t drive yet, and the food was always… Continue reading The Moon Landing and a Funeral
Ungrateful Daisy Dog
(re-run) I was sick today, and my plans to walk the dogs with my girlfriend were dashed. To my surprise, she offered to walk them for me. “You can’t walk them together,” I said. “It’s too hard.” “That’s okay. I’ll come walk each of them separately.” “Okay . .. ?” I had the pinch collar… Continue reading Ungrateful Daisy Dog
Why I Love Saturday Mornings
When I was a kid, cartoons made Saturday mornings great. We sat around in our pajamas and ate our cereal in front of the TV. There was never time any other day of the week. Now that I’m grown and also retired, I still love Saturday mornings. I don’t have to Zumba, I don’t have… Continue reading Why I Love Saturday Mornings
Worst Roommate Ever
(re-run) By the time I graduated college, I’d had somewhere close to 37 roommates: the first two in the triple room my freshman year, the next two in another triple when I changed dorms after one quarter, my solo roommate all of sophomore year, then the string of roomies after I moved into the sorority.… Continue reading Worst Roommate Ever
Introvert or Extrovert?
(re-run) Most people don’t know it they are an introvert or an extrovert for the first ten or so years of their lives. By the time they get to college, they have figured it out. Is your ideal weekend spent with or without people? Are you an introvert or an extrovert or a combination of… Continue reading Introvert or Extrovert?
Must Be a Small Town
(re-run) I went to my favorite beach town for 24 hours to get away from it all. The weather was foggy, the weeds in my yard were thick, and my two dogs were fighting. But three thrift stores in Carmel had their end-of-the-month half-off sales yesterday, so who cared about the weather, the weeds and… Continue reading Must Be a Small Town
FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER! 