There’s Bitchy and There’s Old-lady Bitchy

Posted in aging, birds, bitchiness, cake, caregiver, elderly woman, grocery store, hair dye, hardware store, humor, rats, relationships, vector controlLeave a comment

(re-run) I could’ve called it My Bitchy Saturday but opted instead for the other title.  It started off with the grocery store clerk putting my bag of apples at the bottom of the bag, then placing two dozen eggs, a pound of turkey, and a container of cake on top of them. Yes, I bought… Continue reading There’s Bitchy and There’s Old-lady Bitchy

Hot (but not diverse) Guy Catalog

Posted in catalog, diversity, facial hair, memoir, Midwestern, models, pandemic, This Is Us, TVLeave a comment

I receive many catalogs this time of year. One of them, for men’s clothing, came today. As I flipped through it, one of the models grabbed my attention. It was a pretty steamy look on his face for a family company. I flipped through the catalog again. Hmm, most of the guys have facial hair.… Continue reading Hot (but not diverse) Guy Catalog

Grandfather Clock

Posted in aging, childhood, grandfather clock, landscaper, memoir, Murphy's Law, painting, relationships, relativesLeave a comment

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. As a child, I’d spend the night with my cousin and listen to the clock chime… Continue reading Grandfather Clock

Memories Light the Corners of my Mind

Posted in coupons, dogs, firsts, humor, memoir, memory, MS, names, neurologist, sexiest, sexiest manLeave a comment

(re-run) I used to be good at remembering people’s names and remembering to use coupons before they expired. Now I am lucky if I can find the coupon when I am at the store. Today, at CVS, I checked out and was given a long receipt with $6.00 of extra bucks on it. My new… Continue reading Memories Light the Corners of my Mind

Antiracist (Racist?) Memory

Posted in antiracist, bicycles, comfort level, How to Be an Antiracist, memoir, Nebraska, Omaha, racist, racquetball1 Comment

I just picked up a book to read. It had a long preface, so I paged past it. Then there was a foreword, another preface, and then an introduction. Seriously? Chapter One didn’t start until page 25. I set that book down and picked up another one. The introduction ended on page 11, and the… Continue reading Antiracist (Racist?) Memory

Sorry About That

Posted in Black Diamond Mines, California, firsts, hiking, humor, menopause, menstruation, mines, nature, relationships, surprise, worstLeave a comment

(re-run) Aileen had a date in her early fifties that neither she, nor the guy will ever forget. They met online. He suggested a hike out to the Black Diamond Mines in Antioch. She agreed, although she wasn’t much of a hiker. During the hike and while climbing in and out of the mine tunnels,… Continue reading Sorry About That

Grizzly Bear!

Posted in Alaska, bears, California, church, friends, grizzly bear, guardian angel, guns, hunting, nature, relationships, travel, vacation, worstLeave a comment

(re-run) An Amazon robot punctured a can of Bear Mace, sending 80 employees to the hospital before Christmas. It reminded me of this true account told to me at a holiday party. In 2008 you take your wife, Liza, and your teen-aged kids to Alaska. You stay near the Princess Lodge in a fishing cabin… Continue reading Grizzly Bear!

Melanoma and Me

Posted in biopsy, California, cancer, Carmel, dermatologist, equator, melanoma, memoir, skin, skin cancer, sunburn, surgery, UCSF, VenezuelaLeave a comment

This is the kind of post that is scary to write, knowing that melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer. When I got the call, I was hiking in one of the most beautiful places on Earth near Carmel, with two friends, a happy couple who happened to be in town. “I have melanoma,” I said… Continue reading Melanoma and Me