Goblins, Ghouls and Grown Ups Do you know yet what you’re going to be for Halloween? That was a question asked of me and every kid I knew back in the day – and I have no doubt it’s still asked this time of year wherever there are excited kids, plastic pumpkins overflowing with candy […]
Mowing Down Personal Responsibility “If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders.” – Abigail Van Buren (Dear Abby) I thought of this quote when I read a letter to the editor of this paper written a few editions ago. The writer took me to task for […]
Everyone Knows It’s Windy (Especially in So Cal) Is it just me, or has anyone else had the song, “Windy” blowing around in their head lately? I realize I’m dating myself (something I do all too often, unfortunately), but that song by the ‘60s group, “The Association” was at the top of the pop charts […]
To The Tall Twerp I Almost Ran Over I don’t know your name and can only make a logical guess at your age given that you are a Crescenta Valley High student. But your smug face and stupidly reckless actions are hard to forget. You are tall, with an average build and longish, blondish hair […]
More Petting of the Peeves Hey kids, it’s been almost a year since we last visited my kennel of pet peeves and frankly, they’re getting a little lonely. So let’s go visit, shall we? Pet Peeve #11: Running out of salsa when there are still plenty of chips left in the bag. Or vice versa. […]
Cal (& His Dog, Spot) Drive into the Sunset Last week, television lost one of its pioneering pitchmen, Cal Worthington. The car dealer was an icon of the early black-and-white days of the industry when TVs were heavy, wooden pieces of living room furniture and required a minute or more to warm up once you […]
Garageology, Pt. 2 Okay, so this week we’re still in my garage, digging through the accumulated geologic layers of flotsam and jetsam that come from raising four kids and multiple dogs and simply living blessedly full and active lives for over 30 years in the same home. The plan was to clear enough square footage […]
Garageology, Pt. 1 For those following along at home, you’ll remember that we recently sold our old SUV. And yes, we did replace it with a new car. Now ideally, a new car should live in a garage, of course. But here’s the thing: since the vehicle we got rid of was 14 years old […]
Bare Feet, Bikinis & Balboa Bars I don’t do movie reviews, leaving that particular art form to folks who spend more time in the dark than I do. That said, I recently saw “The Way, Way Back,” a wonderful movie that has it all: a uniquely interesting story, unusually smart writing, a satisfying mix of […]
The Wonders of Summer Travel For many reasons, both business and pleasure, I’ve had the opportunity to travel far from the Crescenta Valley at least a half dozen times so far this summer. From Vancouver, BC to Dallas, Texas, Mammoth Lakes, California to Missoula, Montana and destinations in between – my comings and goings have […]