I recently attended a concert and knew it was going to be a long 90 minutes from the very first song. Why? Because the song featured a tambourine. I hate the tambourine and I don’t care what color it is, what it’s made of, who’s shaking it, and whether or not it is ergonomically designed, it still sounds tinny and cheap to me. And the slightest misstep on the beat… don’t even get me started. The triangle made its debut in the fourth song. I was doomed. And I was back in fourth grade. I Continue Reading

I stood patiently in line, trying not to look too anxious. I kept my eyes focused on the man ahead of me, with a slight smile across my face. Mentally, I was far, far away; so far, the impending winter storm warnings meant nothing to me. I hoped no one saw the twitch in my upper lip. Soon it was my turn, and I shuffled forward. “Five Powerball tickets please,” I said, and held out my $5 bill, resting my hand on the counter so it wouldn’t shake. “That will be ten dollars,” the nice man Continue Reading

Four days into the New Year, I have finally figured out my resolution for 2016. Nope, not weight loss – been there, failed that; stop drinking or smoking – don’t do either; stop procrastinating? It’s taken me 60+ years to master that so I’m not about to change. My resolution for 2016? Increase my attention span. Yep, seriously. You see, mine has dramatically diminished over the past few years and I want it back, and I’m not blaming it on aging stuff this time. It’s not my memory (though Continue Reading