I guess it’s Karma that at one point in my life, I produced TV commercials. It was my penance for devising the plot to end all commercials. Or, at least, the ones I didn’t like.
My diabolical plan came back to mind about ten years ago when my youngest was about six-years-old. The Mathis Brothers Furniture Store had come to the valley and they were spending tons of money on cable advertising. They bought so many commercials that they even found themselves Continue reading
Everything is childproofed these days. There are latches for kitchen cupboards and tamper-proof tops for medications. There are mandatory helmet laws for bicycles and seat belt and child-seat laws are strictly enforced. There are safety locks for everything and plastic plugs for the electrical outlets. Disposable lighters have extra buttons that one must manipulate in order to light a candle or cigarette.
Even with all of this, there are still childhood accidents and injuries. But when I think back to the long-ago days of my childhood, I firmly believe Continue reading
One thing the technological age brought with it is acronyms, words formed from the first initials or parts of other words. We baby boomers knew that many of the words in the 1960’s were acronyms. NATO is North Atlantic Treaty Organization and NASA, one of the big words of the 60’s, was and still is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
We used other acronyms without sometimes realizing they were such. Part of this was because sometimes these were added to our dictionaries and our lexicon as words and not written in all upper case letters. Laser is an acronym for Continue reading
I write this as pitchers and catchers begin reporting for Spring Training. For fans of baseball, it is as much a sign of springtime as melting snow, budding florae and newborn fauna. To quote my ol’ friend, Shaun Hynes,
The grass always smells fresher, the hotdogs taste better, and the beer colder…. And the sound of a fastball hitting a catcher’s mitt is always crisper… No matter what is going on in the world… It’s a sign of spring and all things are possible…
Some of my happiest and saddest moments were spent Continue reading
I spent a few hours this past week visiting with some friends. One of the men is attending college with long-term career goals in mind. He talked with us about a conversation he’d had with one of his professors and that the professor had expressed doubt that, with my friend’s background, he would be able to achieve his career goals.
My friend said that this conversation had totally deflated him. On his drive home he told us that he felt like Continue reading
Hold on to your hats, sports fans! This is it! The adventure of a lifetime!
I awoke on recent Sunday morning—a normal every day Sunday morning—a light mist hugged low to the ground as the sun warmed the damp grass and foliage in the back yard and nearby hillside. The Sunday paper was already resting in the driveway, the dogs tussled playfully with each other and a blue bird serenaded Continue reading
The rain today patters on the roof, but I’m in Southern California so the temperatures accompanying the storm aren’t too low. Still, the sound of the rain and the dim light rouses the nesting instinct. On days like this, you yearn to pull on a warm sweater and curl up with a book—or Kindle!
Or you want to eat. In reality, almost any kind of weather makes me want to eat. It’s how I got into the shape I’m in today. Round is a shape! But putting on a pot of Continue reading
I know there are thousands of women out there who will say from the get go that there is no need for me to comment on this. Men’s obsession with a certain part of their anatomy is well documented, well chronicled and well… you’re sick of hearing about it. Or witnessing it.
I once, on the internet, saw a picture of a toddler who had a remote in one hand while the other grasped his winkie. The caption said something about Continue reading
What is it with women and cats? I have only been with one woman in my life who did not own a cat. She didn’t like cats and she told me she never owned one. But she’s the only woman I’ve ever known who wasn’t a “cat person.”
With a dog, you say, “Here, boy!” and he comes! Try that with a cat. Dogs come running to see you when you’ve been gone all day. A cat Continue reading
As far as I can tell, there are two distinct styles of shopping: My Style of shopping, or The Regular, Normal Way to Shop, and there is Shopping with a Woman. Let me first explain to you My Style of shopping. I need to buy something for, say, my mother for Christmas. If I haven’t seen something earlier in the year and already picked it up, then I must go to the mall.
I drive to the mall and park in the first open spot I see. I walk into Macy’s. I see a top that I think my mother would like. I find the size, walk to the register, wait my turn, make my purchase and Continue reading
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