“Nobody loves me, Everybody hates me, I’m goin’ out’n eat worms!” Here’s why. I’m stubborn and I have a bad temper when provoked. When I was a little kid and I was angry, I’d go up to my room and march back and forth. The movement helped me to blow off steam, but the family downstairs
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Bruce attempts the dip
Mom: (phone rings 5 times) Hello? Me: Good morning! Mom: Who is this?! Me: (hurt and kinda pissed) it’s me, Mom Mom: Who’s me? Me: Zain. It’s Zain your daughter. How are you? Mom: Oh. What’s new? Me: Well, I had a birthday yesterday and didn’t hear from you and Dad. Mom: Huh. Well happy
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She was crawl resistant
My daughter didn’t want to crawl. The pediatrician told me that it was important for babies to crawl. It contributes to their balance, problem solving, and coordination. But my girl was crawl resistant. She was dead set on going from tummy skydiving position straight to climbing. I would get down on the floor and crawl.
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Do you remember your hardest job?
I spent some time in the 80’s as a sous chef in a French and Italian Provencal restaurant. I’d worked as a chef but couldn’t find a job anywhere. Professional kitchens have a rigid class system and females weren’t hired very often. One restaurant offered me a dish washer’s job. A dish washer not only
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How many stitches did you get?
When we were kids, parents were the exact opposite of helicopter parents. After breakfast they told you to go outside and play. They expected you to get dirty and not die. They warned (read: threatened) you about a whole lot of things not to do. You didn’t tell them if you played in the street,
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Whoa, did you see that too? Is he okay?
“Do you think he’s okay? Should we have stopped and checked on him?” Ken asked me. “Nah,” says I, “He’s just drunk. Did you hear a huge crack? I think he broke the fence.” We were in the little red convertible around 7 PM when we’d noticed a big guy having trouble walking up a
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We laughed so hard we had trouble breathing
The Slippery Noodle blues bar in Indianapolis was in the news the other day. Sadly the owner Hal Yeagy passed away. I remember a trip we took to the Noodle to see Pinetop Perkins many years ago. Pinetop was in his 90s but still rocking the blues. He was 100% a gentleman, very dapper and
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What does it take to be confident? One day I found out.
Before we built the primitive cottage we lived in for 14 years, we rented a place that had one room with a wood stove and no plumbing. Living primitively is not for weenies, especially when something goes wrong. It takes grit and self-confidence. Here’s an example: One afternoon I went out to gather a load
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One Skunk, One Cat and Tomato Juice: Recipe for Disaster
My sister Mary called to tell me her cat Shaman had been been sprayed by a skunk. She said it wasn’t your regular gee-the-cat-stinks story. Oh no. This is OUR family. She knew she’d have to give Shaman a bath. She prepared the traditional skunk scent removing bath of tepid tomato juice, scooped up the
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Don’t tell me he’s harmless! He’s still big
I joined the chicken co-op here at the farm and the “girls” are laying eggs like crazy. I have Tuesdays which pretty much keeps us set with eggs until my next stint. I have a history with chickens. If you haven’t read my blog about being the alpha chicken, you can find it here: I’m the
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When aliens land, you don’t know me
I was the major caregiver for my parents before they died. I’m not cut out to be a caregiver. Not that Mom needed much care. She was 100% sharp and all there until she died. And Dad was in an Alzheimer’s unit and other than visiting him, there wasn’t much I could do. But Mom.
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Talk to me darling, I promise to listen
My friend and I challenged one another to make eye contact with everyone we meet. Here’s what I learned: #1: Do you make eye contact with friends when they’re talking? Not me. So I changed. Friends and I were having drinks and talking. I looked folks in the eye whenever they spoke. I was mesmerized
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