Reno
The death of former United States Attorney General, Janet Reno, brought a memory to mind. When my children were in elementary school in Greensboro, North Carolina, they attended a year-round school that specialized in global studies. The school was experimental, funded by a grant from the federal government, and I suppose for that reason, Janet Reno paid it a visit. Now I typically took my children to and from school and would use a special drop-off driveway. On the day of Reno’s visit, when I went to the school at closing time, I noticed that the cars in front of me bypassed that drive and went on to the main parking lot. I was incensed to see there was a car partially blocking the entrance to the lane. Who does that yoyo think he is, I wondered, getting in...
Accused
The hope of having the seat to myself was dashed when the couple boarded just before the flight attendant closed the airplane door. I got up from my usual aisle position to let them in, the man next to the window, woman beside me. I could immediately tell why they were late boarding—they reeked of cigarette smoke. Great, I thought, as I directed my air vent full-force on my face in an effort to divert the odor. I had noticed the couple while we awaited our flight. The woman fawned over every movement the man made and every word he spoke, while he loudly expressed opinions on a variety of topics as if everyone should benefit from his wisdom. I would have moved to a distant seat except that their voices were so loud it would have been impossible to escape their...
Opportunities in Retirement
There are many opportunities when you reach a certain age. My husband and I have been inundated with invitations to retirement strategy seminars. We’ve decided we should start attending each and every one because we DO need to understand how Social Security and Medicare work. It helps that these meetings include gourmet dinners. Sure beats cooking…or crashing funerals. There are other freebies that come with retirement. Just today, George received an “Authentic Gift Delivery Notification” from God knows who. It included a scratch-off, something old people always enjoy. George waited with bated breath as I scraped off the little silver circle. Lo and behold, the numbers matched, making George one of the “Grand Prize Winners!” We’re supposed to call immediately to...
Lake Wobegon
We had some interesting moments on a trip from Nashville to Missoula. Getting out of St. Cloud, Minnesota, where we spent one night, was especially challenging. We were using Google Maps and somehow it wasn’t helping as we headed towards North Dakota. We left the Fairfield Inn on 2nd Street South in St. Cloud, took a left on Park Avenue, then a left onto West Division Street, all the while looking in vain for signs directing us to I-94W. We were startled when Miss Google said, “Turn right on Northland Drive,” which appeared to lead into a residential community. Even more odd, we passed the street just as she was telling us to turn onto it. “Turn right on 1st Avenue then turn left on Lake Wobegon Trail” she said. By the time she finished that instruction, we had...
Dog?
I was in the car at the rest area, waiting for George to do his business, when I noticed a woman sitting, then laying, on the ground in front of the building with her dog. The dog was sprawled on its side and the woman, who clearly loved her pet, was rubbing its belly. After a few moments, the dog stood and I realized it was quite large. Oddly for the 95 degree weather, it had on a coat similar to what might be draped on a horse in freezing temperatures. George walked past the pair as he returned to the car so I knew he had gotten a good look. “That certainly is a big dog,” I said as he settled into his seat. “No, darlin’,” he said in a tone that indicated he clearly thought I should be able to identify animals. “It’s a sheep.” Sheep? At a rest stop? Oh…that’s...
Recent Comments