Two Gents' Worth
October 31, 2024
Do I know how to celebrate my birthday, or what? Yes, another birthday of mine showed up on the calendar today, and I’ve had quite a commemoration, indeed. Among other things — not many other things, admittedly — I got a coronavirus shot, and Sharon and I ate some Wendy’s take-out inside our car at…
Read More about That Birthday Thing
Yep. We’re back — to the place where it all started. Or, at least, the place where Sharon and I both started. We have returned to the Clovis-Fresno area, and we are staying in the first of a series of Airbnb’s. No, this is not our idea of a vacation — it’s our idea of…
Read More about Back to the Valley
Out with the old – and good riddance! In with the new – and good luck! Of course, this being the time for my usual “end of one year, start of another” column – the “old” I’m referring to is that terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year we are about to say good-bye to….
Read More about 2020: Going, Going…
Christmas spirit is in the air once again, heralding the eventual arrival of the Big Day itself. When I was a kid, the “countdown” to Christmas nearly drove me batty. “It won’t EVER get here,” I used to wail to my mom. She said: “Be good. Santa is watching.” It was quite hard to be…
Read More about Christmas is Coming
The Fourth of July dawned bright and beautiful in our lovely old university town of Ames, Iowa, this morning. And then nothing went as it should have. The street in front of City Hall was empty this morning. Hundreds of people — if not thousands — did not line up at 8:30, as they usually…
Read More about Our Dispirited Fourth
Here we are once again, back in Ames, Iowa — the great Heart of the American Heartland. Ames is the home of Iowa State University, but this fine old town also boasts a fine old-fashioned downtown Main Street, majestic churches and many historic homes, some dating back to the 1860’s. Yes, we’re finally here, after…
Read More about Back in the Heartland
I figure that with all the bad news that’s been going on “out there” these past weeks and months – and, yes, there’s been a ton of it – you’d really like to read something “uplifting” on this page. Something that maybe – just maybe – makes you smile, if only for a minute or…
Read More about Trippin’ Back “Home”On this Memorial Day weekend, we, as a nation, obviously — and in my view, unfortunately — have decided that “enough is enough,” when it comes to trying to contain the coronavirus outbreak. We have decided that we no longer want to stay inside. We no longer desire to wear masks. We are salivating at…
Read More about Holiday Break-OutNot that it matters, but I’m not terribly happy to have the month of March come marching in. You see, that particular month has a particular day that always ages me when I see it. It’s my birthday. And this one is a biggie, moving me into yet another category of “old.” Whoo, boy. Don’t…
Read More about That 70’s Thing
I want to talk about someone we all know – a guy by the name of Disney. When I was a kid growing up in the San Joaquin Valley – and, yes, that was a long, long time ago – I loved Walt Disney. He was always on TV, always in black-and-white – and he…
Read More about Walt’s Wonderful World