Halloween has become a major holiday. When did that happen? This year is is expected that we will spend $10 billion (yes, BILLION) on costumes, candy, and other ephemera (decorations. People now go nuts putting up Halloween decorations). What caused this big shift from a night when kids went around getting candy (and apples and … Continue reading "Halloween"

Today’s my birthday. Many of you will wish me a happy birthday, some won’t. That’s fine – I don’t bat 1.000 when it’s friends’ birthdays, either. I just don’t keep that much of a social media presence. Thank you to everyone who does wish me the best today. I won’t be doing anything special to … Continue reading "Birthday"

We had dogs for twenty-five years – first a black lab mix that we had for twelve years, then after a very brief period, a full-bred Siberian Husky that we had for thirteen years. It’s been a couple of years now since Fiona passed, and we still don’t have a dog. People ask if we’re … Continue reading "Dogless"

It was another week of losing a rock star – this time Tom Petty. It’s becoming more and more regular that we are losing the beloved rock stars of not too long ago. Chuck Berry died in March, but he was 90 years old. Tom Petty was just 60 years old, so we lost him … Continue reading "Tom Petty"

Well, on Thursday night the weather changed from super hot (and humid, man was Wednesday humid) to autumn-like temperatures, falling into the 40’s at night. You know, sleeping weather. I dug out my fall blanket and tossed it on the bed, and sure enough, sleeping was so much easier. I like keeping the window open … Continue reading "Sleeping Weather"

Ed Asner stole my knee joke – time to call the Doctor about the pain in my knee (went away for a few days, but is excruciating right now). Really, how can I get it to be just dull pain? Dropping a quick 1982 podcast on y’all today. Not much to say about 1982 – … Continue reading "Taking a knee"

I’ve got a busy day today. Along with all my regular chores (laundry, making supper, cleaning), I’ll be going to my wife’s school to build a train table. My wife is teaching kindergarten, and in order to spend as much of her salary as possible on school supplies for the kids, she decided that she … Continue reading "Train Table"

Time to talk about my left knee, which is now constantly talking to me. It’s taken a beating over the years – odd sprain in college (snow football – the inner part of the knee was sprained – I guess the outside is usually where the sprain occurs), and a meniscus tear in 2000 (from … Continue reading "Knee’s Up Mother Brown"

In a way, I think it’s stupid to say this, but be careful if you’re anywhere near Hurricane Irma (or Jose, or Katia, or whatever else is being cooked up out in the ocean). I think that by now everyone knows that it’s coming, and that hopefully everyone who needs to be gone is gone. … Continue reading "Be Careful Out There"

1987 – the year I started checking out of music for awhile (current music, that is). Real life was taking over so I focused on a job and my family – both are still going well (a couple of careers later). The music I’m playing from 30 years ago is pretty much straight ahead of … Continue reading "1987"