Last week, as we were preparing to head north for the summer, Ruth ran across an old Mother’s Day gift from David. He gave it to her when he was in elementary school. It’s a coupon book she’s never used. She brought it north, hoping to redeem a coupon or two. They read as follows: …
Author: Robert
My Rolodex
When I landed my job in Addison, I spent a lot of time on the phone. I didn’t realize how many calls I’d have to field each day. The first several weeks I was inundated with vendors who hoped to strike up a relationship that would lead to future contracts. When I moved on to …
Senior Pranks
I’m not sure who came up with the idea of senior pranks, but I’m not a fan. As a former school superintendent, I never thought they were funny, and some were expensive to handle. The common explanation students offer up to justify their “pranks” at the end of their senior year is “we’re just having …
This Father’s Day
Yes, I know we just celebrated Mother’s Day. I truly hope every mother enjoyed their special day. Heaven knows they deserve all their accolades. It’s a difficult task. Once a mother, always a mother. The same holds true for fathers. That’s why I already know what I’m buying David for Father’s Day. A baseball bat. …
If You Don’t Know, It’s You
I’ve always believed if you don’t know who’s the worst player on your team – any team – it’s you. I played in a thirty-six hole four-man scramble over two days this week and felt that way more than once. Turns out I wasn’t. It’s not a stretch to call The Villages, Florida the golf …
Plumbing Issues
When Ruth and I established our home on Kalamazoo’s Stockbridge Avenue, it didn’t have a shower and we were shower people. Sure, I had taken baths when there was no other option, but now that we were married, we needed a shower. I purchased the two-unit house before we wed, so I had to learn …
Bedtime Stories
Some stories are best said with as few words as possible. Here’s two such tales.
Music
Ruth and I went to a concert a few days ago. It was a dual tribute to Bette Midler and Billy Joel. I like their music, especially Billy’s, so I bought tickets as a part of Ruth’s birthday extravaganza. Like always, I sang along to most of the songs, doing my best to keep it …
Rumors
This post is not PG. If you’re put off by questionable topics, move on now. This is not for the faint at heart. David and Lindsay, Mike and Kate, don’t let my grandchildren read this until they’re at least twenty-one. Ruth and I have had a Florida home for the past eighteen years. I was …
Patches
My childhood friends and I wore blue jeans most of the time. Our parents bought them because we were hard on our clothes. Life was full on petal to the metal, so our jeans took a beating. They were the sturdiest option on the market, so moms and dads bought them for their sons. Most …