Total Eclipse of the Date

The last solar eclipse over the continental U.S. was on Monday, February 26, 1979.  Claudette worked in the x-ray department at Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa.  She and her co-workers took some x-ray film and went outside to look at the sun through the film. They were not in the path of totality (had… Continue reading Total Eclipse of the Date

Bricks, Ricks, & Cardboard

The college mixer was hosted by the men in Lorch House in Friley Hall, in the heart of the Iowa State campus. Tappan House, the top two floors of my dorm, Barton Hall, was invited. Yes, I am old. Yes, dorm floors are co-ed now. This was in the days of the dinosaurs. The usual… Continue reading Bricks, Ricks, & Cardboard

Rainy Day in Paradise

(re-run from 2019) My kitchen remodel started a week ago. I now have no sink, no oven, and no dishwasher. I set up a temporary kitchen in the spare bedroom (do people still call them that?).  I have a microwave, a hot pot, a crock pot, and a toaster. I wash dishes in the bathtub.… Continue reading Rainy Day in Paradise