There are two things from last week’s visit with my parents that still embarrass me, but I’ll share both with you. My 81-year-old mother beat me in basketball. Twice. Shooting underhand. And I cried foul an hour later when she stuck a wad of $20 bills in my shirt pocket. I protested. She insisted. IContinue reading “Visiting Mom and Dad”
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If the Shoe Fits…
I believe I’ve discovered a fundamental difference between men and women. The answer lies at our feet. Shoes. It’s quite simple, actually. Men tend to be rather Spartan when it comes to footwear. We buy one pair, perhaps splurging for two pair on rare occasion, at a time. We wear these same, reliable, comfortable shoes,Continue reading “If the Shoe Fits…”
Dog Math
Two is always greater than one. Always. Basic mathematical principle universally understood. Apples. Kisses. Dollars. World Series baseball tickets. It doesn’t matter. Having two of something, anything, is always better than having just one. Yet I’ve been rethinking my math lately since we brought two new dogs home to Atascadero. Tanner and Charles Foster KanineContinue reading “Dog Math”
Stranger in the Blue Pickup Truck
I owe someone an apology. Last weekend my dog Topper and I were visiting friends in Atascadero. We decided to return home to Los Osos via Highway 41. I had promised my dog a stop by the beach in Morro Bay. Topper appeared excited with that idea as he rode up front with me–images ofContinue reading “Stranger in the Blue Pickup Truck”
Envy: The Four-Letter Word for Writers
There is a scene in my movie screenplay Authors Anonymous where Colette, the New Age, unpublished, Danielle Steel-wannabe, confronts fellow writer Hannah, who has already scored an agent, a book deal, a movie deal and now an invitation to meet a famous author. “Why does all this happen to you, and only to you?” aContinue reading “Envy: The Four-Letter Word for Writers”
Singing the News
Stormi Martel’s voice thunders across the table. “Rick never came home for dinner. Not once! He always stayed at the station to work on the newscast and make it better. This is the thanks he gets.” The other three couples at the long center table at Cafe Monte Carlo in Pismo Beach murmur in agreement.Continue reading “Singing the News”
Poly Canyon
A few hundred inspired souls spent Sunday morning scrambling up the narrow paths to the top of Bishop Peak. I opted for a more solitary journey with Topper. Our destination: Poly Canyon. For people in the university community, Poly Canyon is old news, as much a Cal Poly fixture as Kennedy Library or Mustang Stadium.Continue reading “Poly Canyon”
Afternoon Delight
For Kathy… Winston Churchill managed to do it regularly, without shedding any blood, sweat, or tears. Napoleon and Stonewall Jackson never battled the urge. Brahms found the concept as comforting as a lullaby. And then there’s Ronald Reagan, who, as president, came to personify the very ideal. These famous men share a common passion withContinue reading “Afternoon Delight”
Walking Topper: The Trail to Paris
Molly May enjoys walking almost as much as Topper. On any given day, the 25-year-old Cal Poly graduate can be found hiking along the trails that blanket Cerro San Luis, the mountain directly overlooking Highway 101 and the city of San Luis Obispo. Molly has walked the mountain regularly for the past eight years, theContinue reading “Walking Topper: The Trail to Paris”
Someone to Watch Over Me
Bruce doesn’t smoke. Doesn’t drink. Doesn’t swear. Never has. Never will. He married his high school sweetheart. They’re still together. They’ll always be together. He was a high school track star. Made some great football plays, too. Corn is his idea of a vegetable.. Cheese only on his pizza, please. His musical tastes run MantovaniContinue reading “Someone to Watch Over Me”
