I made it through high school without a clue. I didn’t know why I was there or where I was going. I don’t recall having too many trips to the guidance counselor. I didn’t have a complex life plan. Go to school, then work. School was not a means, but an end, something I had […]
A Different Drummer: Growing up with girls
I grew up in a household of all girls, and as a result, I have come to a much deeper and broader misunderstanding of them. The guys in my life were gone quick. My dad and his car burst into flames when I was five, and my grandfather ran off before I was born. I […]
A Different Drummer: My sand-castle legacy of creativity
I’m a creative guy. I’m not bragging, just sayin’. I’ve been inventing things all my life, yet I have little to show for it. My creative cupboard is nearly bare. As a wee boy, I was artistic. I drew a lot. I sketched everything around me, dogs, cats, trees. I also wrote limericks and poetry, […]
A Different Drummer: Cabin fever meets call of the wild
South Lake Tahoe is a getaway for many Bay Area folks and families, but it’s changing with the times. Is it trending more toward high rollers, or for the budgeted? Campgrounds and RV parks are full. Million dollar condos are being built. Casinos now charge for parking. Service workers can’t find affordable housing. City transit […]
A Different Drummer: Retiring dreams and realities
I have had many preconceptions and misconceptions about what my retirement would be like. I spent my whole working life actively imagining retirement and even started saving for it in my thirties. Now that I am retired going into my fourth year, some early intentions are coming true, some are pending, and quite a few […]
A Different Drummer: Sucking lemons for nutrients
News gives me the blues. I don’t hide my head in the sand because of it. I’m still a concerned citizen. I just don’t like what I’m hearing and reading. Every news item, every trial, every confession, every outburst, every infraction gets chewed over for a thousand hours by a thousand pundits and broadcast over […]
A Different Drummer: Comfort zones begone
I got dragged out of my comfort zone repeatedly last week by my teenage grandsons, and though I struggled and grumbled along the way, I had a good time looking back. It was therapeutic. It made me realize how much fun exists just over one’s invisible barriers. “We’re watching the boys for four days next […]
A Different Drummer: Shopping for rare bare slabs
Bear with me and I’ll share my tour of rare bare slab outlets in the Bay Area, and there abouts. Using a list I compiled from the internet and woodworking sites, I visited a few and on three occasions drove home with a slab or two in my truck. The Berkeley East Bay area is […]
A Different Drummer: That was Zen, this is now
Bear with me. It’s been like a steamroller. What started as a mild curiosity has become my current life’s passion. Wood. I’m up to my ears in exploration. Backstory: The year I retired all my friends had the same question, “What are your plans?” My response was always the same, “I dunno.” Intentionally my plan […]
A Different Drummer: A fishing tale of sorts
Many dreary things plague us in the news. I have fishing tales. None untold are long enough to fit the bill unless I string a few ideas together. I have a story that isn’t how I started fishing, but how I started loving fishing. It was a while before I chose to fish for trout. […]