Category Archives: Writings

I’ve been searching for the perfect bread – not a baguette, not a super-soft hoagie, but that Subway or Quiznos-style bread. My looks at local groceries was met with bummer after bummer, so I did what I do? I did it myself. And with just three ingredients – bread flour, yeast, and sugar – myContinue reading “Quest for the Quintessential Loaf”

Do you ever notice that delightful melody right before you ascend an escalator at a mall, where a person in a nice shirt is skillfully playing a piano? Well, at home, that same mood is recreated when Dave takes his seat at the piano. Tonight, his practice included Charlie Brown’s “Christmas Time” and another pieceContinue reading “Real-Life Rudolf”

Strolling down the sidewalk with my 50% off Grande Crème Brûlée Starbucks coffee in hand I’m on an hour break in my workday. A few block walk to Fred Meyer for lunch and a happy hour coffee was an unexpected, but welcomed surprise. On the trek, I felt empowered. Not necessarily like an ape poundingContinue reading “Blue Ribbon Life”

With a spare moment, while flipping backward dollars and unfolding folded bills, a fond memory of my Grandma surfaced. “Can I hold it?” she had asked years ago upon seeing my large billfold of cash. I can’t quite remember why I had taken it out; Was I proudly showcasing the hundreds of dollars worth ofContinue reading “Alligator Creeper Crawler”

“In your eyes. The light, the heat. Your eyes, I am complete. I see the doorway to a thousand churches.” Certain songs, they have that magic. They make your body move with a chicken-like head bob and get you rocking as if the San Francisco earthquake is happening in your pants. An hour break meansContinue reading “Magic Eight Ball”

I revisit old wounds like a gravestone in my mind, pressing charcoal to paper, stenciled words emerge. “These things happen” is the message today, reminding me that the best of the best lessons are forged in blood, scarred in the heart, and ache when we least expect it. A flying swan dive off the highContinue reading “The Little Engine”

An itch on my arm, a tickle behind my ear—words come to mind, and they get their scratch on the page. “Hold on,” I tell them, like a parent rummaging their purse to a kid wanting ice cream. Still, they persist. “I’ll get to you, but later,” I say, though I encourage them to stickContinue reading “Lights, Camera, Action”

“You know how Vegas doesn’t seem to be slowing down?” is an image I bring to people’s minds when teaching about how drawn we are to intermittent rewards. This past week, an individual in my office desperately wanted to understand why they cheated on their partner and struggled to stop. “I love the sneakiness, theContinue reading “Vegas Jedi Tricks”

“Why is it 65 degrees in here?” At three degrees under the minimum temperature on the thermostat, the question uttered by Dave wasn’t just a query. It felt like a threat. You see, about two years ago, right around this chilly time, our heat pump stopped. The still-valid warranty was a financial relief, but dealingContinue reading “Free Chilly Willy”

Since my mind can’t juggle writing anything else, I’ll be providing a two-birds-one-stone play-by-play of the season finale of The Golden Bachelor live on TV. Gary is currently in Costa Rica, a place I’ve been and appreciate. According to him, “I have two great women; Teresa and Leslie.” At 70, Gary is the first seniorContinue reading “Golden Bachelor Finale”