Chapter 1, The Cerro Grande Fire I had planned to celebrate my 75th birthday with seven of my friends and neighbors on May 11, 2000. We went to the new Chili’s restaurant in Carlsbad. While we waited for our table, we stood outside the bar area. I could see that the 6 o’clock news from … Read more
To the Douglas County (Oregon) 9-11-01 Project September 2001 I heard about your project solicitating individuals to write down their experiences of September 11, 2001, from listening to National Public Radio (NPR) while driving through Oregon on the 12th. I think this is a worthwhile effort and would therefore like to make this contribution to … Read more
August 27, 2000 Driving up North Central Expressway (in Dallas) the other day, I noticed a big billboard sign just this side of Mockingbird Lane advertising the, uh, ’boutique’ shop – Condoms To Go. I wasn’t shocked, but I became instantly curious as to why the name specified “To Go”. Of course, after a couple … Read more
August 1999 Thoreau, in Walden, observed that “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” This may seem a stretched connection, but I recalled the quote last Thursday night as I had the pleasure of escorting my daughter Stacy and her friend Rochelle to the Brian Setzer Orchestra (BSO) concert. (At my request.) If … Read more
Memorial Day Weekend, 1999 Thursday, May 27 Our flight from DFW to LaGuardia was oversold, so they asked for volunteers to take a flight an hour later in exchange for $200 vouchers. After discussing it with Stacy, we put our names on the volunteer list. We didn’t have to get bumped, but the gate agent … Read more
Hanson Those of you who know me might agree that I maintain a certain sense of independent thought. However, I remain susceptible to certain suggestions, especially those from my daughter Stacy. Tonight, she called me. “Dad,” she asked, “you know how sometimes you write those dorky things, you know, that you send out as emails … Read more
November 1997 I just tried to drive in to work. But as I pulled into the parking lot, I was overcome with such emotions that I turned around and came home, realizing that I needed to verbalize something. About moments. This weekend I went to San Jose for the wedding of my good friends Liz … Read more
The “You Damn Right I Got the Blues” Pity Party Invitation January 21, 1996 Hello, Friend, Acquaintance or Co-worker, I guess I’ve decided to go ahead with this, so I’d like to invite you to my first, and most likely not last, “You Damn Right I Got The Blues” Pity Party. You know, it just … Read more
