David Rivers was a sophomore at Pinole High School when he invited his fellow classmate, Violet, to his school dance. She said yes, and he told her he’d pick her up at 7:00. When David got to Violet’s house, she wasn’t ready. Violet’s father led David to the question couch, where he grilled him for… Continue reading The Date That Never Happened
T is for Trusting your Gut
The news the other night reported how many people have died taking selfies. At Yosemite, by the ocean, in a college bell tower, anywhere and everywhere. What I don’t get is, didn’t they know how stupid they were being? Did they think they had a guardian angel? Did the selfie arm in the air throw… Continue reading T is for Trusting your Gut
A Good Dog Neighbor
(re-run) Yesterday my son and I had lunch together at the local sandwich shop. He brought his little dog, half Chihuahua, half terrier. I fed Violet scraps of lettuce under the table while we ate. She thinks she’s a vegetarian. Afterward, we followed the usual routine and came back to my house, where Violet could… Continue reading A Good Dog Neighbor
Three Strikes, You’re Out
He didn’t seem her type — he was a few pounds overweight, but not bad looking and wearing a nice suit in his online photo. He was an architect. He pursued her with photo-likes over a few weeks and text messages, too. Kate agreed to a phone chat. At least he seems intelligent. He was… Continue reading Three Strikes, You’re Out
Mr. Huggable
His name on Plenty of Fish was Mr. Huggable. Her name was Charming Classic. She didn’t know yet that first dates are better as a coffee meet and greet, not a full-blown lunch. They agreed to meet at El Charro, a nice Mexican restaurant in Lafayette. It was set for 1:00 in the restaurant bar… Continue reading Mr. Huggable
He Ain’t Heavy, He’s my Match Date
(re-run) Ingrid had been on the online website for a little over a month. She had tried meeting a few guys but only if they were willing to email back and forth and actually pick up a phone and call. Fred had flirted and called, and now it was time for them to meet. He… Continue reading He Ain’t Heavy, He’s my Match Date
Worst Neighbors Ever
When I was twenty-eight I bought my first house, in Omaha, on 50th Avenue, south of Leavenworth. It was a cute little two bedroom, one bath with a full basement and big fenced-in backyard. Since I wanted to get a dog, it seemed perfect. I had a budget, and this house was in my price… Continue reading Worst Neighbors Ever
Timing is Everything when Driving
Coming back from Monterey on a weekday can be tricky. You want to wait until rush hour is over, but you don’t want to leave too late, or you’ll get caught in it at the other end. Since I’d left my laptop cord in the Bay Area, I couldn’t spend my morning pounding out a… Continue reading Timing is Everything when Driving
Hold the Crunch
(re-run) Jim’s job was to put the crunch in the new peanut butter, Jif. One machine chopped the peanuts into slivers, and another machine used pistons to plug the slivers into the creamy product. Jim also had to taste test peanut butter that had been sitting on a shelf for three months in 100 degree… Continue reading Hold the Crunch
Yes on Open Space is Good for Danville
(re-run) There is a rancher in my town whose family owns 410 acres of pristine grazing land. His name is Tom Magee. Today Tom and Davidon Homes hosted a Tails and Trails walk for people to bring their dogs and hike through the ranch to see what future park trails would look like. I went… Continue reading Yes on Open Space is Good for Danville
FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER! 