Memoir

It ain’t easy being a parent, and you do the best you can with what you got. I wasn’t the brightest kid in the litter, and my dad tried to teach me well. I thought some of his methods were a little goofy, just as I think my kids think I’m goofy too. In his … Read more

I once dreamed of playing the accordion for fun and profit. I was attracted to the instrument by its weirdness. It groans and sighs and hisses in anger to produce music the way that wealthy Republicans make laws in the House. And if you squeeze them the wrong way they make a very, very foul … Read more

I recently had an altercation with another parent at a soccer match. The kind that brings the officials, the tournament marshal, and all the other parents into the melee. It’s all fun and games, they say, until someone loses an eye. I’ve watched soccer from the sidelines for thirteen years. Soccer is not as violent … Read more

For the few people who read my blog regularly, you may know that I try to be funny. I haven’t blogged a lot lately because I’ve been working on a novel, but my resolution this year was to be more consistent with humorous writing, especially over at my other web site, Dying Is Easy. Comedy … Read more

I had to deal with a flooded car today, something I haven’t done in decades. I thought the widespread inclusion of fuel injected engines made flooded cars a thing of the past. I learned how to fix them, and this article explains it all. But first, some background: I grew up surrounded by some real … Read more