Short, tall, true, and semi true tales about a young boy growing up in upstate New York.
I was listening to some old John Prine tunes on my streaming service the other day—just letting the music wash over me like it always has. Somewhere between Sam Stone and Souvenirs, my mind drifted back to my late teenage years. I was an aspiring musician at the time, though the emphasis was definitely on “aspiring” and not […]
Why Can’t We All Just Cheer Up and Get Along? Read More »
When I was in high school, options were slim for a kid who was into math. Senior year brought a choice between basic statistics and a light introduction to calculus—hardly enough to satisfy a mind eager for challenge. Meanwhile, a few older friends were off taking engineering courses at the nearby community college. That’s when
Waiter, There’s a Harmonica in My Piano Read More »
So I have had this blog since before I can remember. It has always been focused on thoughts, opinions, and stories from the past. The stories have often been manipulated and enhanced by the magic of my own failing memory. It may be that this is what artificial intelligence is, since failing memory results in
The Piano That Shouldn’t Have Mattered — But Did Read More »
When I was in junior high school, attending that pinnacle of acedemic research, knowledge, teenage angst, and middle school Lord of the Flies-esque culture, I happened upon a most cherished cassette tape. I would load that tape into my rudimentary1970s vintage boom box and allow my mind to drift and meditate upon all things that
Simple Simon Met a Pie Man Read More »
Firecrackers were THE most illegal and at the same time most sought after item in our neighborhood. The only drugs we knew of were aspirin and cod liver oil. No local hood was gonna ‘bust a cap in yo haid’ to steal your dope, they would much prefer to kick your ass and take your
Look!! Firecrackers!! Read More »
My family owned various dogs, cats, hamsters, and guinea pigs over the years. There were two cats, Cinnamon and Blackie, Christie the short haired pointer, and Scamp the mutt. The most memorable of animals to me was a neighborhood mongrel dog named Spike. Spike was a largish, black and brown, thick furred dog of questionable breeding.
Spike was a Dog Amongst Dogs and a Friend to Every Man Read More »
Boomers of a certain age share certain memories in a global orgy of corporate knowledge. Now, I am not talking about baby boomers in general, just baby boomers of a certain age. What is that age, you innocently ask? Well the only age that I know about is presently 66. This, even though I have
Bye Bye Miss American Pie Read More »
When I was in elementary school, I would often fake a stomach ache so that I could stay home and watch TV. It was great, because both of my parents worked. I had the whole house to myself and free run of the refrigerator. Once everyone was gone, I would slither down stairs to plant
Feeling real bad about that old rabbit cause Captain Kangaroo done hid his stash Read More »
There was this fellow in our neighborhood named Tony Zostant. He was a curly headed, slender fellow with a hippie-ish demeanor. Amongst his many talents was the ability to ride a wheelie on a ten speed bicycle forever. I once saw him go the entire length of Grand Street riding a wheelie whilst giving the
Ground Control to Major Spudnick Read More »
I remember … yes I remember. We were told to hide under our desks, or if things really went down the crapper, head into the hallway and cover our head with our hands. We were told that this would protect us in the event of a nuclear attack. None of us had a clue as
In the Event of a Nuclear Attack, Stop, Drop, and Roll Read More »
