Sneaking into the Pool

(re-run) While student teaching in Venezuela, we learned how to have fun with not much money. One of the American teachers had stolen a couple of striped beach towels from an upscale hotel (Tamanaco Internacional) and she had been sneaking into the hotel pool for years. “Just carry the towel and act like you belong,”… Continue reading Sneaking into the Pool

Living with OCD

I always knew I was different in the way I perceived the world.  Instead of needing to do classic hand washing or constantly worrying about germs, I had other weird rituals, like never leaving the house without a Kleenex and needing to have a regular routine. I married a last-minute, no plan, fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants kind of… Continue reading Living with OCD

Amazon Driver Loses It

I get my best writing ideas in the car. I was thinking about the Castro Valley resident who was attacked by her Amazon driver this week. Apparently, the older woman received an email that her package had arrived, but when she went to the lobby where the mailboxes were, there was no package. She saw… Continue reading Amazon Driver Loses It

Massage Talk, Otter Card, and Scavenger Find

(re-run) Every other Tuesday I treat myself to a full-hour massage at my chiropractor’s office. Curtis is awesome. He can make this senior citizen feel almost 50 again. Curtis asks lots of questions while he is working on me. For the past several months I haven’t been able to talk, have barely been able to… Continue reading Massage Talk, Otter Card, and Scavenger Find

When It’s Foggy, Go Thrifting

I am in Monterey County today, which is known for its June Gloom. I woke up to fog and had no desire to pull weeds in the dampness. Since there was no Zoom Zumba this morning, I seized the day, deciding before breakfast to go thrifting in Carmel. I hadn’t been there for a few… Continue reading When It’s Foggy, Go Thrifting

No More Renters

I own a very old house in Monterey County, where everybody wants to go on vacation. For ten years I rented it out to friends, way under market value, although the price has been creeping up these last few years. During the pandemic, I rented it one time, and my mom, sis, and brother-in-law spent… Continue reading No More Renters

Love Again

(re-run) KT and her friend Toni, both divorced, joined the singles’ ski club in the fall. When they found out about the Snow Ball, where five ski clubs came together for dinner and dancing to live rock and roll music, they decided to go together. Rex had been in the club for years. He had… Continue reading Love Again

Dating and other Things Over Fifty

(re-run) Sherry didn’t get her first colonoscopy when she turned fifty. She put it off. Did she have one done at 51?   No, she did not. 52?   No, she did not. Finally, Sherry scheduled it to be done at 53.  She was so nervous when she went in that the nurses asked Joe, a regular… Continue reading Dating and other Things Over Fifty