Hey, it’s my birthday today! The sun is shining and the day should be full of nothing more than fun and possibilities. I’ll start my own personal celebration just as soon as I run a few errands. Let’s do it quickly. I just have to drop this mail at the post office. Why drive on…
DetailsI am struggling to keep my eyes open as I write this column, having just completed an overnight stay in North Carolina, which included a night of restful sleep. That’s correct; I slept great. The exhaustion occurred the following morning as I was preparing to leave the spare bedroom in my relatives’ home. Always striving…
DetailsI have tried, since I first heard the term, to stay away from artificial intelligence. The problem is, artificial intelligence won’t stay away from me. If AI is not recommending an alternate restaurant to the one I was planning to dine at, it’s offering to rewrite my social media posts. It’s either driving my car…
DetailsOhio, thank you for contributing to my upcoming chicken wing free diet The Buckeye State already has taken center stage now that J.D. Vance hopes to exchange the title “Ohio Senator” for “U.S. Vice President,” even if it means cozying up to a man he once called “reprehensible” and a “total fraud.” Now comes another…
DetailsThe man sat in the half full subway car as the Chicago skyline whizzed by on a humid Thursday morning. Oblivious to the heat or the scenery, he was only interested in discussing his problems with the unseen and unheard voice at the other end of his phone. Between the Midway Airport and Roosevelt stops,…
DetailsI celebrated our nation’s birthday by taking in a ballgame at Wrigley Field, a ballpark known for its rich history, neighborhood location and, with the exception of 2016, long-suffering Chicago Cubs fans. Also, its silence. Oh, sure, Ian Happ brought the Cubs faithful to their feet on July 4 by going four for four and…
DetailsI sat in my doctor’s office, weary from fatigue and yawning mightily as he entered. Noting my healthy color and firm handshake, he seemed perplexed. “So, what brings you here today?” he asked. “I think I’m suffering from CFS,” I said, rubbing my eyes and resisting the urge to lie down on the examining table.…
DetailsIn Atlanta last week to visit relatives, I was fortunate to witness rock-and-roll immortality, courtesy of the Rolling Stones. Just a typical night hanging out with 80-year-old men. OK, two 80-year-old men in particular: Mick Jagger, the Stones’ ageless frontman, and lead guitarist Keith Richards, his bandmate since the Stones formed in 1962. At 77,…
DetailsIt was the sound I’d been anticipating, as I began a late afternoon May stroll on a golf course somewhere in East Tennessee. Thousands of cicadas, their wings furiously rubbing together, signaling that yes, they had emerged from their nymph-like states, climbed trees, shed their skins and were ready to state their existence for the…
DetailsI yawned as I read the subject line in my inbox, this email courtesy of Jewel-Osco, my local grocery store. “We love hearing from our customers!” Like anyone who has made a recent retail purchase, be it kumquats, hemorrhoid cream or a caramel macchiato, I’ve grown weary of the barrage of “How did we do?/Give…
DetailsJanine, the spin class instructor, breezed into the room, mounted her bike and greeted the already sweating class with her normal Saturday morning salutation. “Is everybody ready to WORK?” Mumbles and groans abounded. A few raised thumbs signaled that at least some participants eagerly awaited 45 minutes of torture. “I made an oldies playlist for…
DetailsThe yowling started shortly after I folded myself into seat 6C on the Southwest flight from Washington, D.C., to Chicago. It was coming from 6D or, specifically, under 6D, where emotional support animals congregate. “She’s mad at me,” said the woman occupying 7D, gesturing to the flowered bag nestled on the floor between her and…
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