Or So it Seems

My 80-year-old dad is a retired oilman from Bakersfield. He came of age around wheeler-dealers, some of them so crooked, he says, “You didn’t bury them when they died. You screwed them into the ground…. These were guys who’d shake… Continue Reading →

Thanks to my wife, half of the shoes I own now have high heels. This was done in the name of a worthwhile event, Walk a Mile in Her Shoes. Or So It Seems…. But there’s something really odd here.… Continue Reading →

My wife told me it was time to be a man and put on the high heels. We were in the American Cancer Society Thrift Shop and she held out a couple of garish selections of women’s shoes. “Oooh, try… Continue Reading →

“Hello. My name is Robb55, and I’ve been clean, straight, and eBay-free for 1 week today…” I grew up believing if a little bit of something is good, then more is better. This philosophy can be seen at a glance… Continue Reading →

Here it comes, spring! When a man’s mind is seized with desire to do that one fine thing.… Hold a garage sale. It’s the yearly, not-to-be missed double-rush of TOSSING JUNK and MAKING MONEY. What you tell your family, of… Continue Reading →

Once a year, most Americans decide to time travel.  We pry our clocks off the wall and crank them forward. Welcome to the Twilight Zone of Daylight Savings Time. We’ve all heard that Ben Franklin proposed the basic idea behind… Continue Reading →

Last weekend, I paid $50 to spit wine into a bucket. I was one of thousands who trekked to Santa Rosa for the “Wine Road Barrel Tasting.” The event continues this Friday through Sunday, and if you visit, here’s what… Continue Reading →

Bella sat across the table from me, sipping a glass of red wine and chatting with the men gathered around her. She was witty, raven-haired, and feisty. Her smile was intriguing and her laughter contagious. During dinner we talked, and… Continue Reading →

My kid brother, JD, and I shared a secret for years. Our folks expected us to be in bed at 11 pm on Friday nights. They thought that this was most generous–a full two-hours past normal lights-out. But we disagreed.… Continue Reading →

My earliest love letter came to me in first grade. It was penned on a napkin and tucked inside a Flintstone’s lunch box. I LOVE YOU!!! Mom’s missives came crafted in indelible magic markers and big, block print. Cursive handwriting would have… Continue Reading →