Short, tall, true, and semi true tales about a young boy growing up in upstate New York.
Listening to Paul McCartney’s new album The Boys of Dungeon Lane, my mind drifts back to the iconic years of my young childhood growing up on Crescendoe Road in my little upstate New York hometown of Johnstown. I believe it was during 3rd grade that our family was uprooted and moved to 21 Crescendoe Road […]
The Boys of Crescendoe Road Read More »
Back when I was a young lad, maybe 50+ years ago, I was a huge Kurt Vonnegut fan. I had read the majority of his novels at the time. You know, Cat’s Cradle, Breakfast of Champions, Sirens of Titan, Player Piano, yada yada yada. I’d often discuss the novels with Sarah Grabowski, one of my
The Letter and the Envelope Read More »
Tonight I was knocking down a few glasses of my new favorite cabernet. My good friend Joe G turned me on to a bottle I had never tried before. I had always thought that cheap wine was terrible wine, but apparently I was misinformed. As it turns out, this new bottle is a very fine
Way back in 1975 I was just entering my senior year in high school when I heard the album Born to Run on a local college radio station named WRPI. I thought I had just discovered a new secret amazing musical act that no one else knew about. Turns out I wuz wrong. As time
Lemme tell ya about the time I was present at the dawn of a new fad. I know, I know, this all sounds very grandiose, but hear me out … this shit really went down. It all started during a high school health class round about 1974. There I sat listening to Miss Bouvee discuss
They Call It The Streak, Boogity Boogity Read More »
Way back in the before times, somewhere around about 1984 I found THE CAR. Now just imagine you wuz 26 in 1984 and your mind was wondering over the best possible car that was worthy of being in the presence of a superbly gifted 26 year old dude. What would that car be? For the
One of my lifelong dreams—besides not forgetting why I walked into a room—is to drive the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. Yes, that 27-foot rolling meat torpedo of joy. That iconic American sausage-shaped chariot. The Holy Grill of roadside novelty vehicles. I’ve whispered this dream to friends, family, and the occasional DMV clerk. And to my surprise, no one laughed.
Wienermobile Envy in the Corporate World Read More »
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 »