We were in Aliceville, Alabama at a blues festival and we were hungry. . Half my family is from the South and when I get back down there the deep southern comes out in my accent. Suddenly I remember phrases from long ago visits with the grandparents and start dropping endings and drawling my words
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Psst…..kid. Wanna make a deal?
I admit to a streak of wildness. Sometimes this gets me into situations where I find amazing talents for tasks I never thought I’d even enjoy. Like lifting weights or riding a tandem bike. I’ve also done things that ended up being really risky. And afterward I usually say, “It seemed like a good idea
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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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Chad the birddog: Up to more tricks
Our tradition was to sit on my folk’s back patio in warm weather at 5pm for happy hour. Dad rigged up a sound system and played classical music and opera. It was relaxing sitting there in the balmy evening air talking, eating mixed nuts and having a cocktail or a soda to strains of La
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We wanted to party and listen to the blues
We made a pilgrimage to Aliceville, Alabama for The Freedom Blues Festival In 2006. We arrived at the only motel in town after a long and tiring drive. The owner greeted us with our towels but eyed us suspiciously when Michele asked for two. After some persistent arguing, he gave in, handing out gauze thin
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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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Poppa kept moving forward. How about you?
Oh my 2021 is coming in with a bang. Who hasn’t been shaken by the seditious rioting, destruction, death and domestic terrorism at our Nation’s capital? It made me start thinking back on how our country has changed over the decades. This led me to think about my Grandfather Clemet John Raymond McGinness, “Clem” but
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People who shop on Christmas Eve are a different breed
Long ago I lived with John in Ann Arbor. He believed in buying holiday gifts on Christmas Eve at 5pm at K-Mart, “for the rush of it.” I hadn’t ever considered heading to K-Mart on Christmas Eve but I was ready for adventure! K-Mart was strewn with cars parked at odd angles due to the
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Was Santa Hard Up for the Holidays?
It’s the holiday season! That means it’s time for a shocking tale about Santa. When my daughter Dakota was 3 years old, my Mother insisted on taking her to LS Ayres Department store in downtown Indianapolis. LS Ayres had 4 magical windows that depicted holiday scenes and a Santa visit for the kids. Window #1
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Pipe organs! Costumes! Party!
Years ago on Halloween we’d go to the IU Auditorium’s Pipe Organ Film Party to watch a silent horror film while Dennis James played the enormous pipe organ. The pipe organ tunes were written for the theaters’ organists to play to create suspense, romance, and key the villain or hero in the silent films. I
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It’s the Indy 500!
KEN: I think we should bet $5 this year. ME: You wanna lose big is that it? KEN: I intend to beat you. 5 bucks. You in or not? ME: Oh, I’m in alright. Let’s make it 10 bucks and we’ll just see who has the superior driver. (we shake on it) It’s the Indy
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Hey buddy, move that car
The half-moon had that hazy summer heat aura, giving the sky a misty glow as we rode home at 10 PM last night. The air was scented with something flowery and we were in the Miata convertible. We rounded a corner only to brake hard, gasping at the green glowing eyes of a black dog
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