They are putting up a new building next to where I work and yesterday they were pouring blacktop or some sort of tar. While this is not earthshattering or of great importance to anyone but the construction people, as I passed by I got the full smell of the tar. It was wonderful. Not in the “ohh, look at the purple elephants” wonderful. It took me all they way back, thirty years to my grandfathers house. Every summer as a pre-teen I would visit for two weeks. He had a large driveway tha...

So, I took my two of my three girls (5, 7) ice skating at the rink last Saturday because the 7 year old wanted to. Now, I skated in my teen years and I could do alright. I could get up speed, turn and stop. I was told you never forget how, it was like riding a bike. Lying, freakin’ bastards. So, while I was inching my way across the ice, my eldest was clinging to the side and moving down the wall, the 5 stepped out, fell and stepped back in, this she did several times. Lessons are nee...

The Old Man paced the room. A young man works at a drafting table, another reads. A young woman places a vase or roses on the table. “Sit down, you’re wearing a path in the carpet. Besides you know when Julie and her friend Emma will be here.” “You mean her lesbian friend. Call it what it is Mary.” The Old Man replies. “Fine, her lesbian friend, Emma. Happy?” “She knows how I feel about this. How could she do this!!!” The Old Man says. Falling deliberately into a chair. With a s...

I just got a call. My new glasses are ready. I will pick them up Thursday. At least they were ready for my trip to NY. Let me tell you what my Mom said when I told her I needed bifocals. Did she offer words of comfort like, no one will notice without the line, or you'll adjust quickly, oh no, not Mom. Her words? "God, those are a pain in the ass." My loving wife's words of comfort up on hearing the news: "Oooh, you're getting old...." Yes, she was kidding and said it sweetly. But...

I was just going through my Grandfathers effects and he had a large number of black and white pre-1960 photographs and I noticed something, so I check other old blacka and white pictures, civil war books, etc. No one smiled. A few in the family pile, but in general, no one seems happy to be photographed. Am I off on this? IG .

I just got back from the eye doctor, I had nbeen having trouble reading over a long period of time. After 1 or 2 hours of on and off reading, I was loosing focus. Thedoctor said I needed bifocals. I mean !!! I and only 3--- not even 40. But he showed me with the lenses how my vision will improve. He was right. Crap. I should be getting them next week before I go to New York. Crap again. IG

My daughters are taking swimming classes at the “Y”. They are doing well. My middle child just graduated to Eel. My eldest is also doing well. She has the moves for the different strokes, but she does not have the stamina for prolonged movement. It is something she will have to work on. They all enjoy it. I never quite got the hang of water though. I mean I can swim enough to not drown. I can move with relative ease through the water, but I never felt quite comfortable there. It’s kin...

Hello, Zippy 3, our pet goldfish, died Saturday night. Yes, there was a Zippy 1 and 2. Zippy 3 led a long 8 month life. He lasted longer with us than in the pet store. How do I know? Because Zippy 3 was a feeder fish. What’s a feeder fish? A feeder fish is a fish that they feed to other bigger fish. Kinda like having a lot of mice in the pet store if Kaa the constrictor gets a bit peckish. The girls dealt with the passing well. We buried Zippy-3 in the front yard and put flowers on th...

Last night I got out my girl’s inflatable pool, stored away from last year and blew it up. No, not with a pump, with my own power. One hour, big pool, hot sun, no fun. But they enjoyed the sprinkler while I did it. I wanted them to have it for today. This morning I discovered tiny holes and a deflated pool. Woohoo! Color me happy! So, over to Wallyworld my wife goes and gets a new pool and a hand pump. So, around noon today she and I and 2 and 4 are pumping up the pool, before I leave fo...

Before I start my musings, let me tell you that yes, todays society has many great technological advances over the past and this has made life better. But I think along the way we lost something. For those over 18: Today’s culture is too immediate. Remember box tops? You would spend a month or two eating cereal, scraping together enough money and sent them in the mail and waiting for the toy to come? That sense of anticipation? Or, the family coming home early and sitting together i...