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
Category: music
Pennies from Heaven
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, and tie dye. Although I wasn’t a pothead, I enjoyed the ambience of the place and the way my hair smelled when… Continue reading Pennies from Heaven
Do the Hustle
Guido met Marsha at a famous bar called Rex and Eric’s in Waikiki. He lived locally. She was on vacation. He’d put on his five gold chains, unbuttoned his billowy polyester shirt with the big collar to reveal just enough chest hair, stepped into a pair of black high-waisted pants that hugged his tight butt,… Continue reading Do the Hustle
Flyboy Fail
Offutt Airforce Base is just outside of Omaha. You could spot an air force guy anywhere in town because of his close haircut, back in the day of long-haired hippie dudes. A clean-cut guy in a uniform worked for a lot of women, and I was no exception. We met at a dance bar, and… Continue reading Flyboy Fail
Jeff Bezos Rules the World
Macy’s, Sears, J. Crew, Radio Shack, J.C. Penney, Kmart, Payless Shoe Source, closed or closing stores in 2018. Borders, Barnes and Noble, and indie bookstores everywhere are closing. Mom and Pop shops are no more. What Ebay and Etsy did to antique stores, Amazon is doing to all the rest of the brick and mortar… Continue reading Jeff Bezos Rules the World
Best Boy Band Ever
Carol grew up in in Pueblo, Colorado. They called it the little Pittsburgh of the West. Her dad was a steelworker. Her mom was a lab tech phlebotomist at the hospital. Whenever one of the kids got sick, her mom would bring home a hypodermic needle in her purse to draw some blood. “To see… Continue reading Best Boy Band Ever
Breaking Bad in Blackhawk
My right ear was plugged up, and I had a two hour singing rehearsal in front of me. I grabbed my chorus bag, my iced tea, some recycle bags and my jacket and headed out the door. I’ll stop at CVS on the way and pick up some Sudafed, so I can hear tonight. When… Continue reading Breaking Bad in Blackhawk
Best Music Lessons Ever
When I was seven, I began my musical career by writing a song about going to the drugstore for candy. My first composition was entitled, “If I had a Penny.” Now you know how old I am. There were five kids in my house, and only one parent working for wages. Money was tight. I… Continue reading Best Music Lessons Ever
Not Music to her Ears
Suzy met a musician online. Mel was nice, a little shorter than she, and had a ponytail. He was in four bands as a pianist and drummer. He lived in Berkeley, and she lived in Orinda. They set up a meet and greet at the coffee shop. He tried to impress her with his noisy… Continue reading Not Music to her Ears
FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER! 