The Waiting
The summer of 1986 meant riding my Schwinn Thrasher eight blocks to Lafayette Pharmacy where I cashed in my nickels for a bag of assorted Jolly Ranchers. The loot cost me $1.67, and the trip took a solid twenty minutes…
Done with the Yard
It’s been almost ten years since I woke up in this house and looked out the window at the humble landscape I planned to turn into the yard of my dreams. Here we were, freshly minted homeowners, and my mind…
To Beach or Not to Beach
My family is going to the beach this summer. I’m writing it here so it absolutely, definitely happens … maybe. Sharing it here increases the likelihood that we will go to the beach to at least greater than 50 percent. For…
College is Free
I know it’s out here somewhere. The college our daughter has been looking for. And as we make our way down endless highways and byways in search of it, my odometer might as well be racking up dollar signs instead…
Sheepadoodle Do!
Three years ago, I drove to North Carolina, met a stranger through Craigslist, and brought home a Boston terrier puppy. That was the breed of our dog years ago, so obviously, another one would be perfect for two wild boys.…
Chair Meets Door
But I am telling you it won’t fit!” “Yes, it will!” “No, it won’t. See how wide it is? Here, look at the tape measure.” “What does the tape measure have to do with anything?” And so it goes. Back…
The One About Raising Daughters
It seems every day now, the news brings word of another man accused of using his power to abuse and harass women. Women you know (or you yourself) have probably made a #MeToo post on social media sharing experiences of…
Please, No More Santas
His eyes follow you around the room! It’s true. They do. I swear. See for yourself. Start from this end of the den, where he watches you from his preferred spot on top of the TV cabinet, his nose and…
Driving Backwards
Our 1972 Toyota Corona station wagon lived a tough life when I was a kid. From the factory, it came with an AM radio and no AC. How much fun can anyone have with that? While other families had Oldsmobile…
Forever Twenty-Bucked
If you’re like me, you almost never see it coming. It’s a bolt out of the blue, a maddening surprise, a whack across the back of the head when you least expect it. And there’s nothing to do but hunch…
