“What’s next – locusts?” That’s what a friend said to me last week, after hearing about the computer viruses, the broken down car, the hole in my son’s ceiling the night before we were leaving town, the air conditioning that died and required repair – twice, water pouring into my bathroom through a light fixture, […]
Standing Room Only (Low Fare, No Care?)
I couldn’t resist this tidbit – Ryanair finally goes for its Standing Room Only air travel, according to The Telegraph (UK). Seats back in the upright position? Try “backs upright in the standing position!” This decision has been bandied about for awhile; I caught wind of it last year (and was amused), thinking it was […]
Shower Shockers, Water Worries
Shower shockers Who doesn’t do some of their best thinking in the shower? And who doesn’t recall the terrifying shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 thriller, Psycho? Janet Leigh is unwinding after a harried day of larceny, an eerie encounter with a creepy character, and is lulled as she finally cleans up, letting her guard […]
Moaning and Groaning. COOL Complaint Zoning?
The Complaint Department is Open! But today, I’m also in search of silver linings, if you happen to have any in sight. Mine? Wimbledon Week 2 is here! And that helps everything, even though I missed last week’s incredible 11-hour match with its extraordinary 70-68 fifth set! So here is my contribution to Monday morning […]
Where everyone knows your name
Cheers Bar It was afternoon. Late. I had to get out of the house. See people. Something different. Anything. And it was Friday. I had been chicken a week earlier. Unable to talk myself into an elegant bar just 20 yards in front of me. I wasn’t going to be chicken again, but I needed […]
Guerrilla Artist, Guerrilla Writer
Guerrilla Artist By her own words, artist Lavanna Martin stares at people. At times she refers to herself as a “Guerrilla Artist,” setting up in one of several local coffee shops in Austin, Texas. A possible subject of interest catches her attention, and she creates a quick portrait – a sketch or painting – achieving […]
Father’s Day Gifts (Good, Better, Best)
Good gifts Digital SLRs. Flat panel TVs. Exotic watches. Cordless drills, wrench sets, any kind of tools. Grills, golf clubs, silk ties. These are good gifts, aren’t they? Maybe even fabulous gifts? This used to be the lexicon of my month of June – whatever the latest and greatest gifts might be – for the […]
Monday Morning Moaning. Complaint Department is Open.
Monday, Monday The staff of the Complaint Department has been on sabbatical for a few weeks. But – it is Monday. And who likes Monday morning? Who doesn’t have a complaint or two or three? Who doesn’t want – or need – a place to bitch? What better time than when we’re all dragging – […]
100k
100k. What do you think of when you hear it? Money Money. That’s the usual answer. A goal for many of us, once upon a time. Still for some, I’m sure. A measure of worth, based upon pay. So often it is the professional’s measure of having arrived. Financially at least. These days, it may […]
Why I’m Fond of Isopropyl Alcohol
Oddities I woke early, heart racing, dark dreams prickling – my own version of a global thriller, complete with missing mid-century masterpieces, a chase scene through a foreign airport, running for my life across an unknown border, and the face of the enemy in pursuit. Frankly, I kept waiting for action hero Jason Bourne to pop […]