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

By Pat_B - About Me - E-mail this page - Add to My Favorites - Add to Blog List - See other blogs in Journal

Sunday, August 29, 2010

The Potassium Question. and Words

Which is best, Beet Greens or Bananas? From the standpoint of potassium intake, which many people don't think about, beet greens are superior. According to a table in CSPI's September Health Letter, a half cup of cooked beet greens has 14 percent of our minimum daily potassium requirement, while a... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Computer Breach Confirmed -- and -- Pentagon acknowledges

These two phrases are not my idea of a happy headline. Catchy. But not happy. So, hearkening back to research for my novel "Waltzing With Zombies" which deals with computer tricksters and firewalls etc., when I saw this little bombshell on one of the back pages of Thursday's paper, I read it, then... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, August 27, 2010

How to know a newspaper editor doesn't like you...

In 1980 when I was a J-student, working part time as a beat reporter, I covered local township board meetings. Roger E., the board chairman, was up to his political ears in a storm of controversy over some issue I've long since forgotten. There was this obnoxious woman among the radical opposition... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

At a sidewalk cafe in Paris,

That's where I'd like to be: sipping a cup of coffee and watching fashionable people wander up the Rue de Francais. Maybe there's room at that little bistro where Hemingway and his chums used to gather and talk about the meaning of life. Come to think of it, that's what Blogit is like this morning.... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Jumping to conclusions...

Yesterday the first of the hot sweatty men arrived. Not the roofers, yet. This was the delivery truck driver, Big Dustin: late 20s, 250 pounds of bearlike manliness, ball cap, faded red stretched-out tee shirt, wrinkled third-day jeans that sag in the butt, well-worn Nikes. This is not one of the... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

The coat

Even though there were two employed parents in the family, with four kids there were times the money didn't quite stretch paycheck to paycheck. With winter coming on, the boys and ten-year-old Becca needed heavy-duty coats: winters were harsh in Illinois, and just putting a sweater under her light... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, August 23, 2010

I've fallen and I can't get up -- with a twist

Ed Jr. is 72, and not in good shape. Things don't bend and flex like they used to. So one afternoon last week when he fell in his workshop/garage, he didn't have anything to grab, no leverage to get himself back on his feet. He heard his new neighbor out in the yard next door, and began calling out... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Inspiration from Bob's Grabbag -- his poignant question

Do you still love me? Bob's Grabbag check out his poem. He wrote strong lines that caught my heart, and my comment began in rhyme. Then I cut and pasted my response here: it seems to fit my life this time. DO YOU STILL LOVE ME? That's a tough, tough question given the current situation and the... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Bargain or scam? We'll asphalt your driveway if you do it right now...

I was watering my tomatoes in a big pot on the front porch when a big dressy pickup truck brakes to a stop at the curb. One of those black shiny things with Harley Davidson customizing, chromy wheel covers. Put a blonde 20-something girl in a tube top behind the wheel and every horny-toad in the... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, August 20, 2010

The Write Place, at the right time -- a stranger joins the group

The group met last night at Borders: Alan, Chuck and me, the rag-tag end of the writers' group. Alan was led in by his wife, who's brilliant and devoted to him, has a sense of humor. Clearly he functions because of her TLC. She replaced his hearing aid batteries in the few minutes before the... Sign in to see full entry.

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