Off to Africa

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Tenting in Africa Tenting in Africa

In 1998 I went to East Africa with my friend Mandy for a camping safari. Mandy was a 3-hour-a-day commuter, understandably seeping with zero tolerance for sitting in anything mobile. Not a good time to be flying 21 hours to spend many more being driven through Tanzania and Kenya. Even though I don’t speak Swahili, I’m fluent in sarcasm, so I wrote our itinerary to prepare Mandy for what was coming. Here it is, in part… Continue reading →

Thank You, Guardian Angels

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I have a guardian angel, maybe even two. No doubt my mom is one. She died 9 years ago and even though I was 48 at the time, she still worried about me. When she knew I’d be out late she would say, “Be careful driving home, sweetheart. Call me so I know you got home safe.” Gotcha, Mom.

My first guardian angel

My first guardian angel

I guess when you’re a mom, your children will always be your babies, no matter their age. Protecting them is in your DNA. Continue reading →

Sharing Secrets

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We all have secrets. If you think you don’t, then you’re being secretive. Naturally, some secrets are juicier than others. Now don’t get too excited; my secrets aren’t all that juicy. You won’t learn that I’m in the Witness Protection Program from testifying at a mafia murder trial in Chicago. No, my secrets pale in comparison. Here, I’ll show you…Witness Protection Program

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Say it Isn’t So – A High School Reunion

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I went to my 40th high school reunion Friday night. Hard to believe that much time has passed. Even harder to believe I decided to go. You see, it’s a fact I have no memory and haven’t seen most of these folks since I was a pimply-faced 17-year-old. Odds are I wouldn’t recognize a soul.

It might have helped if everyone wore a photo of their senior portrait. Still, for me that wouldn’t have been enough. Their name needed to be included. Those little tricks might have increased my odds to a 10% recognition factor. Continue reading →

Trying to Turn Back Time

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I recently made the mistake of buying a 10x magnifying mirror. I ask you, what was I thinking? There’s no good reason to buy an item that only magnifies your imperfections while accentuating  those you had no idea you even possessed. But did that stop me?magnifying mirrorLet’s face it – we live in a youth-oriented society. Wrinkles are not appreciated here like in Japan or the Philippines, where those with nooks and crannies are revered for the wisdom that comes with age (accompanied by great storytelling). Nursing homes? What are those? Continue reading →