Monthly Archives: June 2018

OK, I did volunteer for this job, so I have nothing to complain about. In fairness though, I volunteered shortly after basic while I was in the middle of AIT (Advanced Infantry Training). The idea of running around Afghanistan with … Continue reading →

…NINE, TEN AND OUT   Benny “Boom-Boom” Flores headed for the championship bout with Frankie “The Flash” Johnson. He had earned this title shot. From the first time his father laced up a pair of Benny’s boxing gloves to this … Continue reading →

Josh was full of Egg Fu Young!  Satisfied, he sat back and picked up the fortune cookie that must have been left at his plate by his waitress.  It was heavier than he’d expected when he picked it up and … Continue reading →

Some species have learned to “fish” using floating bits of material, such as small twigs, to attract minnows. These birds [great blue herons] will deliberately drop their “bait” into the water and may retrieve it for re-use if it floats … Continue reading →

Like most things in life, the unexpected often leads to deep thought and profound insights. So it was on a sunny Sunday afternoon. The skies were crystal clear cobalt blue. A gentle breeze massaged by face and spirits as I … Continue reading →

Give me an F Give me an A Give me a T Give me an H Give me an E Give me an R What’s that spell? HE FARTS!    

It was a beautiful late spring day and I decided to walk to my favorite Chinese restaurant, The Jade Dragon, for lunch. From my office at the Metropolitan Police Department of DC, located in Judiciary Square, to the corner of … Continue reading →

  GORDON MARKSTEINER   George and Roberta Pauffenberger enjoyed a meal at their favorite Chinese restaurant: “Nom Wah Tea Parlor. After finishing their meal, Roberta opened her fortune cookie. Inside there was no usual fortune, just a slip of paper … Continue reading →

Chapter Two After school I took in the mail for Mama like I always done. But this wasn’t no ordinary day. In my quivering hands was a letter for Mama from my daddy. Of course, I was gonna read it … Continue reading →

Every year, my mother planted a back-yard vegetable garden framed by blue and pink bachelor buttons, four-o-clocks and moss roses, but not the year we moved to Buster Spalding’s rented house.  Our house butted up against Spalding’s Used Car lot … Continue reading →

  HOLD ‘EM, JOE   Joe Bob Rowe-Fester was born in rural Alabama in a town called “Burnout” in Calhoun County, named after John C. Calhoun, the seventh vice-president of the United States. He was one of eleven children, all … Continue reading →

Dear Diary,   Pine Lake, Indiana September, 2005   Muddy Blue Me   Sometimes I have nightmares, then wake up all sweaty, shaking, and remember I’m in Pine Lake, Indiana where the water’s blue and calm as a sailboat at … Continue reading →

Chapter One Fannie Mae promised to drive me to Alabama to find my daddy. Now it’s hopeless. I ain’t never gonna see him. She’s in heaven. Our trailer blew away. We evacuated to Pine Lake, Indiana. And Mama swears she’s … Continue reading →

Approach my home from either side and it looks like the front door.  Oh yes, the one that faces the street, it’s called Hawk’s Eye Drive, is welcoming to guests, family, and the two of us after a trip away. … Continue reading →

  LOOKIN’ OUT MY BACK DOOR   Stanislaus opened his back door. He stepped out in the morning haze, humming a Credence Clearwater song, breathing in the fresh air. He was met by two shotgun blasts, killing him instantly! His … Continue reading →

My name is Sam. And I scam. Call the ladies, “Madame”. Then sell her “ham.” (which is really spam). I don’t really give a d____.   It’s all for a buck. Of course, she’s a sitting duck. Too bad she’s … Continue reading →

Although off key, I sang along to Woody Guthrie as we planned and packed for a trip traveling through six states to reach our final Minnesota destination.  The itinerary included a pilgrimage to Selma, Alabama, and Independence, Missouri. The three … Continue reading →