You can’t watch a news cycle these days and not see some news story about weather extremes – both here in the US and around the world. There have been record high temperatures in London, with daytime highs well over 100 degrees. Extreme drought in the American Southwest has caused the water level in Lake Mead to drop to its lowest levels since 1937, revealing dead bodies (stuffed in oil drums) and long lost hulls of boats that were disposed…
July and August are terrible months for me, financially speaking. Not only are my annual property taxes and home/car insurance bills due, but it’s also time for me to man up and pay out the semi-annual tuition bills from my daughters’ institutes of higher learning. For those of you with younger children who are thinking about their college futures, I have three words of advice. Start saving now. Seriously. I had the good sense to open up 529 college funds…
Remember the good ‘’ol days of television? When one could only get three (free) network channels (maybe four, if you counted PBS) on that small, 15-inch TV set with the rabbit ear antenna sitting in the corner of the living room? What should we watch tonight, honey? Well, there are only four choices – pick one. In the early 1970’s that meant Telly Savalas as “Kojak” on CBS, James Garner starring in “The Rockford Files” on NBC, or we could…
Happy Independence Day, everyone! July, 4th, 1776 was a momentous day in our history, and we celebrate it annually with parades, cook-outs, vacation weekends and of course, fireworks. It’s hard to believe that’s it’s been 246 years since the thirteen colonies declared their Independence from the English Crown. In just four short years, we’ll be celebrating another milestone. Our Semiquincentennial, or 250 years of independence. I hate to be a party-pooper, but that seems like that will be hard to…
There are two types of people in this world. “Early Birds” and “Night Owls”. Early birds are up with the sun. They relish the quiet hours of the morning, sipping steaming coffee on the porch while scanning the headlines in the freshly-delivered newspaper. They take morning walks, work in their gardens in the cool of the AM, and can be found in the parking lot of the local bank, waiting for it to open. Their chores and errands are done…
Did you ever feel you have a “million dollar” idea? Not that you’d literally make a million dollars, but an idea you feel just “can’t miss”? My wife and I get these all the time. For example, years ago, we thought that if a pet food company came out with cans of gravy – just gravy – they’d make a fortune. We even named our idea – “Auntie Leigh’s Happy Lappin’ Cat Gravy”. Sure fire winner right there, and apparently…
I’m giving you fair warning. Father’s Day is Sunday, June 19th. That’s next week. Mark your planner, add a note to your phone, do whatever it takes to remind you. Understand that I’m not speaking for myself, as my girls are pretty good about remembering – but I wanted to make sure everyone else is aware. I’m doing my part to draw attention to all the hard-working, patient men out there who spend each day making sure their families are…
Ahhhhhhh, beer. The working man’s blue-collar drink. Since the dawn of civilization, skilled craftsmen have performed their magical alchemy and carefully brewed hops and barley, producing a golden elixir that has been celebrated and enjoyed for centuries. Throughout history, any town worth its salt has had a brewery. It was as common as a church, town hall, or marketplace. With the industrial age came homogenization and standardization. Local brewers were bought out or run out of business by large national…
Another school year has ended at my house. My daughters are both home from college – one finishing up her junior year and one halfway through her sophomore year (already). As I was loading up the car from yet another dorm move-out, it occurred to me that this was probably the last summer we’d all spend together under one roof. Once graduated, my oldest will most likely look for her own place elsewhere, hoping to utilize her English degree (with…
Believe it or not, this coming weekend is the Memorial Day holiday weekend. The “unofficial” start of summer is here (and if the preview of temperatures over the past week or so is any indication, it’s going to be a hot one). Here are some of the things that bring the summer season to life: Cookouts and swim parties. The scent of suntan lotion in a hot car. Evenings spent gently rocking on a porch swing and watching the fireflies…