Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Midwest has four seasons.  If you would like proof, buy an ice cream store!  As a proud former owner of a Baskin Robbins franchise, I can confirm that winter is not a good time to sell ice cream in the Midwest.  As far as I was concerned, the only reason for being open in February was Valentine’sContinue reading “I’ve Been Thinking . . . About Too Little . . . or Too Much”

On our most recent trip to the Rockies, we saw a low-lying marshy area – just the type of environment where you might see a moose.  No matter how often we looked, nor what time of day, nor the angle from which we looked, we never saw a moose.  We did, however, see a succession of beaverContinue reading “I’ve Been Thinking . . . About Beavers”

I don’t know about you, but it’s hot!!  We went to my cousin’s birthday gathering in the latter part of July; when we left to return home, the temperature was 106° – the temperature!  We’ve had numerous days with temperatures around 100°, and several more with heat indices of more than 100°.  Perhaps it’s a function of my years ofContinue reading “I’ve Been Thinking . . . About the Heat”

The Dog Days of Summer – pretty much the way I feel, too! Road trip with friends: A couple of weeks ago, my old high school friend, Dan, asked if Nancy and I would like to join him and his wife, Brenda, and our friends Steve and Cindy, on an overnight trip to Hutchinson, Kansas.  Dan,Continue reading “I’ve Been Thinking . . . About Reunions”

I think the gas stations are using tote boards for their prices.  Unlike Jerry Lewis, they aren’t raising money to find a cure for Muscular Dystrophy. I have hypothesized for years that gas companies keep the price at their “normal” level going into a long holiday weekend (Memorial Day, for instance); then jack up the price after you’veContinue reading “I’ve Been Thinking . . . About “The Other Hand””

We returned last night from a trip to Breckenridge.  By a combination of departing later in the morning than normal, driving about eight of the eleven hours, and having my “passenger nap” interrupted multiple times by the buffeting of a strong crosswind, I got to bed later than normal; yet the dogs, being creatures of habit,Continue reading “I’ve Been Thinking . . . About A Better Place”

What’s your favorite item on the menu?  (I’ve learned not to ask what’s best on the menu because you get some version of, “they’re all good.”  And if you ask for the best seller, you get a variety of the restaurant’s “specialty,” or “known for,” or “they’re all good,” but with a qualifier of “I probably sellContinue reading “I’ve Been Thinking . . . About A Place Called “Home””

A typical spring evening, warm enough that we had the door to the deck open.  The wind had been blowing generally from the east – not a good sign as it tends to help bring about storms.  The forecast included a chance of rain. We were about six minutes into episode eight.  Victim found, our intrepid detectives wereContinue reading “I’ve Been Thinking . . . About Tornadoes”

I have been struggling to complete my next essay. I believe I am distracting myself with topics I’m not sure I want to include, causing me to be unable to complete the topics I have in progress. Since I want to keep posting content, I decided to post an original work, but not one thatContinue reading “I’ve Been Thinking . . . Scattered Thoughts”

I just finished our taxes.  Honestly, I don’t mind paying them – I believe that we, personally, get a lot of value for our money:  roads, bridges, schools, and so on – did you realize, for example, that it costs about $400,000 to resurface a mile of two-lane residential street?  Certainly not in my budget! Tax filing canContinue reading “I’ve Been Thinking . . . About Taxes”