Brother Clark, Old Lady Hickey and the sweet by and by
It seems the only thing almost everyone hates to do is laundry — especially at the laundromat. But not me. I like going to the laundromat. And why’s that? Well, I’ve got a bunch of reasons. The first is the results. For a mere hour-and-a-half of my free time, a few bucks and almost no effort, I end up with a week’s worth of clean clothes. It’s something most of us take for granted, but if you think of the world before washers and dryers it should be considered a fabulous luxury. But the laundromat does more than just get my clothes clean. Say I’m in there and no one else is? That’s a perfect setting for both work and relaxation. With work, I can correct papers with no fear of distraction (after all, what else can I do, other than watch the action in the front loaders, like the nearsighted Mr. Magoo?). As for relaxation, I can read to my little black heart’s content. But if other people are also in there, it opens up a world of possibilities.
» Full StoryA Dope of French letters
You want to know what tickles my sardonic fancy? It’s listening to people screech about all the immigrants in America who can’t speak English.
» Full StorySaranac Lake and the Great Frozen South
Since my parents came from New York City and we visited there several times a year, I knew almost from the get-go that My Home Town and the Rotten Apple were polar opposites. But I was clueless about everywhere els.
» Full StoryFrozen in roughly 4/4 time
As soon as I heard the announcement telling me to report to the principal’s office, I knew what it was for. Or more precisely, what it was not for: Since I’d been skipping band practice religiously, I knew some comeuppance was in store.
» Full StoryOn point
As a kid, I wanted a secret life. I knew I wasn’t in the same league as Batman, Superman and Green Arrow, so being a superhero was out of the question. Thus I settled on being a spy.
» Full StoryA sad week for Hammerheads
A popular sport among people my age is called “Place the Blame.”
Place the blame for what, you ask? For everything you feel has gone wrong with your life, that’s what.


