Category: Life and Stuff

(This is an updated and improved version of a piece I wrote a few years back, sort of a Thanksgiving leftover. Like a lot of leftovers, it tastes better the...

(For my dad and Harold and all the others). On Veteran’s Day, I remember. Growing up, and later when I visited home from Chicago, I probed my dad for details...

Growing up in a small town may sound romantic and idyllic, but to a kid, it can be pretty dull. Looking back now, it was safe, simple, and I had...

In 2015, Melanie surprised me with a birthday visit to the Chicago Art Institute. As I wrote in my last post, I had been exploring art for a few years...

I’ve always been a big baseball fan, going back to 1968 when the A’s moved from Kansas City to their new home in Oakland. They sported the same colors (green...

Last week, I took my Chevy Colorado to get emission tested, a Texas requirement for registration. Since the car wash here does the testing, I decided to double up and...

I’m not good with manners. Ask anyone in my family. Or my friends. Even co-workers. I take too big bites and chew my food loudly and badly (which is also...

In high school, I wasn’t allowed to work. “You take care of the grades, and I’ll pay the freight,” my dad told me. So it went. Working for a livin’...

There was a time, long before DVR’s and VCR’s, when the arrival of the TV Guide was must-reading. I’d begin my survey with their list of televised sports for the...

No, I’m not crazy. At least not any crazier than before. I’m not describing malevolent, audible commands, like Son of Sam. These are my memory loops stored over six decades....