”On vacations we hit the sunny beaches where we occupy ourselves keeping the sun off our skin, the saltwater off our bodies, and the sand out of our belongings.” Erma Bombeck
Suntan lotion sales melt at forty degrees north. Especially in January when jackets cover skin. But compared to my buddy, O’Malley Nanook of Fairbanks, I have it easy. Located two-hundred miles south of the Arctic Circle, O’Malley covers up with flannel, mittens and parkas woven from caribou hide. This week’s forecast for O’Malley features balmy nights at 25 below, cold enough to freeze antifreeze. Continue reading “January Tanning at 40 Degrees North” »
“Once again we come to the Holiday Season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes in his own way, by going to the mall of his choice.” Dave Barry
I enjoy camp fires but have NOT enjoyed the recent Camp Fire which hit the community of Paradise, California. For readers unfamiliar with Northern California, Paradise sits in the Sierra Nevada foothills about fifteen miles east of Chico and about 90 miles north of Sacramento. 
“A remark generally hurts in proportion to the truth.”
“There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things and people who claim to have accomplished things. The first group is less crowded.” 
I never expected needing to carry a baseball bat for walking my own property. I swing bats to miss pitches. Not fend off intruders.
I’m a hand-me-down guy with a mindset inherited from my grandparents, Great Depression veterans. Whether it was hockey equipment or clothes the only “new” stuff Mom bought was either underwear or socks. She’d hand down Dad’s shirts telling me I’d grow into them. When it came to sneakers she’d splurge with a trip to Penny’s if we were lucky. But un-luck mostly prevailed and I got blue-light specials. “Your dad’s left foot is size 8 but he wears a size 9 right foot. Here, enjoy your Keds knock-offs.” Good thing my feet were size 8. My brother got my hand-me-downs, unfortunate for him—he’s worn size 7 shoes since kindergarten. 
“With word processing, there is no end to the amount of words you can crank out without having to become personally involved with what they say.” Dave Barry in Cyberspace
Published in the Chico Enterprise-Record, Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph & 