Short, tall, true, and semi true tales about a young boy growing up in upstate New York.
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 »
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 »
