She was under a rusted-out Ford pick-up truck that looked as though it had been parked there for decades. Her sister was an ugly black and white Australian blue heeler/Brittany spaniel mix. She wasn’t much prettier. “Are you sure you want that one?” my future husband asked. I looked at the black spot on top… Continue reading Best Dog, Worst Dog
Category: Nebraska
Cowgirl Tips
After moving to Omaha and teaching for a couple of years across the Missouri River in Council Bluffs, Iowa, I grew tired of driving a car that smelled like a mildewed basement. My poor Chevy Monza had suffered through a Nebraska flood back at the farmhouse, and the car stank. I couldn’t afford a new… Continue reading Cowgirl Tips
One Flood, Two Fishermen
Kristy and I met at Iowa State University. We had been around the world together, at least to Venezuela where we did our student teaching, plus Ecuador, Peru and Colombia. Then we were roommates in the middle of nowhere, Nebraska. As the story goes, I applied for the third grade teaching job, the principal interviewed… Continue reading One Flood, Two Fishermen
Too Tired to Boogie
The band room was a freezer. “Vamos a sentarnos en el pasillo, clase.” “What?” “We’ll sit in the hallway today.” It was zero degrees outside. The school district wanted a Spanish class but had no classroom for me. I’d complained a zillion times – when the band teacher held private tuba lessons in his office,… Continue reading Too Tired to Boogie
Hey Jude
What is the song you sing when you are in a bind and need to calm yourself down, without the benefit of drugs? For me, it’s a Beatles song — my mantra, Hey Jude. Paul was my favorite Beatle growing up, and he does a great job repeating the lyrics, to the point that if… Continue reading Hey Jude
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
Dance with Me, Young Jeremy
Each dance bar in Omaha ended the night with its signature song. One bar closed with Last Dance by Donna Summer, another used Shout from the Blues Brothers movie (by the Isley Brothers) as its sign-off song. But my fave dance bar closed with the song New York, New York. It seemed an odd choice… Continue reading Dance with Me, Young Jeremy
Desperado
Another Omaha first date was with a tall, thin but attractive man who was a few years older and reminded me of James Taylor. Kevin took me to the standard dinner and a movie and then wanted to show me his house. It was a summer night, and after the obligatory tour, we sat on… Continue reading Desperado
Teddy Bear With Back Hair
When I lived in Omaha for eight years in my twenties, I dated almost all the eligible men I met in my age range, at least once — shorter guys, smokers, non-dancers, younger guys, poorer guys (I was a school teacher!) and guys with facial hair. But I NEVER dated a guy with back hair… Continue reading Teddy Bear With Back Hair
Worst Snow Day Ever
It was 7:00 a.m. and snowing hard. I was dressed for work in my tall boots and long wool skirt and sweater. The car was warming up, and I had my go-cup of coffee filled. The phone-tree person was supposed to call by 7:15 if school was cancelled for the day. I stood around drinking… Continue reading Worst Snow Day Ever
FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER! 