Life in the fast lane--where's the on ramp?

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Thursday, December 19, 2019

UPDATE: SNOW DAY

Heard a news update on the 10-year-old who got through the safety fence, slipped off the diving board into an icy pool in Ferguson. Despite the efforts of two heroic cops and paramedics/ER doctors, he didn't make it. Damn it! Terrible penalty for being a daredevil ten year old. So sad for his family... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

SNOW DAY

As predicted by the National Weather Service, a cold snap and large snow storm hit the Midwest, caused hundreds of schools to shut down because of dangerous cold and hazardous road conditions. Then came a news report about a ten year old who got in a dangerous jam. For the sake of the story, let’s... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

RANK AND FILE

In the land of Klondike, the lonely queen of spades met the king of that suit at the origins ball. They shared a waltz, nodding to the numbers as they circled the polished walnut floor beneath a sparkling mirror ball. She told him she was very lonely and suggested they had much in common. That’s... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, December 16, 2019

THE FIRE TRUCK

One Christmas season their dad and I got our shopping done a bit earlier than usual instead of rushing around at the last minute. Rusty was about four, Rich was nearly three at the time – just the right age to enjoy a toy car or fire truck they could pedal and drive around the basement or on the... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, December 15, 2019

P.S. TO THE SANTA CLAUS POEM

In 1945-46, in the eastern Washington desert country where the family lived at the time, there were vast acreages of wheat fields, a lot of open range and desert just to the north of the Columbia River that formed the border between Washington and Oregon. (river, states are still there, but they've... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Rodeo Days...

Santa Claus A wild Appaloosa stallion, sleek spotted wall of horseflesh grey as fog, is rudely roped and hauled from his free range in the Horse Heaven Hills, torn from his mares and rivals, tightly tied in a ramshackle stall next to a makeshift wire corral. God knows how far he is from home. He... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, December 13, 2019

PIE CRUST DAYS

There were no such things as a McDonald’s or Burger King back in our Salkum days, but we had perhaps the healthiest of diets ever. We grew our own vegetables, no chemical fertilizers or pesticides. We usually ate the veggies the same day they were harvested – carrots pulled, cleaned and peeled after... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, December 12, 2019

ON THE OTHER HAND…

Tuesday at The Center – that little moment when I was frustrated at JoAnn, a.k.a. The Barbarian – was only part of what was going on at the front desk. By the way, thank you all for your thoughtful reminders about what’s really important and keeping things in perspective. I’ve decided to take your... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

POW! RIGHT IN THE KISSER!

Well, she did it again. Pushed my buttons. Got on my last nerve. I could not resist the urge to jump to my feet and extend my right hand as high as it would go, middle finger emphatically displayed. Right there in The Center! There’s the dining room with six or eight tables for six where the bingo... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

ALL THE PRESIDENT'S SOCKS

A. Point of order, Mr. Chairman. B. The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Alabama. A. Thank you Mr. Chairman. I’d like to declare this witness is not qualified to wash the president’s socks, and thus and singly, ought to be subject to immediate reprimand. B. Let me get this straight, Congressman.... Sign in to see full entry.

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