For some reason, in 1968, having an aquarium was a thing. Every damn 10 year old on my block was pining for a fish filled aquarium to show off to their pals. I was no exception to the siren call of the aqueous environment. My good pal Tom had an aquarium filled with wondrously colorful […]
The Age of Aquariums Read More »
The three of us had a dream. That dream was to circumnavigate our home town on a ship of our own making. The Great Luigi, Melvin Purvis, and your’s truly came to the conclusion that the only way we could accomplish this goal was to build a great sailing ship and travel the length of
The Idiot and the Oddity Read More »
John Luft was both the most fortunate and the most unfortunate kid in our neighborhood. I shall now recount a few high and low lights from the tragic life of John, attempting to clarify the weird paradox that was his place in the world. John owned a vast assortment of toys, gadgets, and motorized vehicles.
The Guy that Had it All Read More »
The Boy Scouts of America is probably one of the most revered organizations in the world, at least by those that have never actually been a Boy Scout. For some strange reason, being an Eagle Scout is considered tantamount to being given the Congressional Medal of Honor. Many great and notable men have been Eagle
Lord of the Scouts Read More »
Evel Knievel was the dude we all wanted to emulate. I mean sheesh, this guy tried to jump the Grand Canyon on a motorcycle … and he lived! We had all heard the stories that he had broken every bone in his body at least once. That must have included the talus (whatever that is),
Walt’s Walk-in, that was the place! Every kid dreamed of a way to tie up Walt, break into the gigundo glass covered candy counter, and make off with a Radio Flyer full of loot. Nobody really knew who Walt was, but we all pictured a jolly fellow, kinda like Santa. There is no way that
Firecrackers, gun powder, matches, Estes rocket engines, and gasoline. When you are 10 years old, all of these things are like magic. Man has always fought for the control of fire, and still does. From flaming bags of dog poop at Halloween to roadside bombs in Afghanistan, we have used our mastery of fire as
Doctor My Eyebrows Read More »
Punkinhead Avery lived around the corner from me in a two family duplex with his Gramma and his idiot younger brother, Carl. We all knew his name was Punkinhead because his Gramma would walk out onto the porch at least once a day and scream Punkinhead!! Punkinhead Avery, you get your ass home right now!
Why am I drawn over and over again to visit nutty old pals. Middle age seems to leave me pining for the good old days, when daily interactions with a large group of close friends was a common occurrence. It may be that I only remember the pleasant ones and have somehow managed to purge
My Mind Drifts Back Read More »
You know, sometimes you’ve had about all you can stands. Your brain just won’t stop spinning until something comes out of your mouth or out of your fingers onto the typewritten page. Such is the case today as I contemplate the very timely impeachment of a confidence man and the enablement of a slow witted
The Ballad of Moscow Mitch and Dasvidaniya Don Read More »
