It is day four of backpacking in Colorado’s Holy Cross Range. I’m authoring from inside the butter-yellow walls of my Marmot tent, alone. Not because I’m a misanthrope but because all of my friends are locked in a prolonged state of camping procrastination stretching over 25 … [Read more...]

My older son will make a great attorney someday. He fights with his brother and sisters better than anyone I know. He has a stubborn streak that makes him fight for what he truly believes in. And he doesn’t give up easily. He is strong-willed, tenacious, determined and never, … [Read more...]

Back in 1995, I got onto this internet thing -- perhaps you've heard of it. They say it might catch on. My favorite part of the internet, almost from the first time I used it, was e-mail. What fun it was to type out little messages that most of the time actually made it to the … [Read more...]

"I’ve got a screw loose!" "Whassat?" "I said, I’ve got a screw loose!" "So, tell me something I didn't know!" "How'd you know?" "It's the way you act, sometimes." "It’s that noticeable?" "Well..." John Belsher, the town barber, was confounded by his friend's revelation. … [Read more...]

I was raised to believe that a penny saved was indeed a penny earned, so I did just that. I collected loose pennies in a gallon jug. When the jug was over three-quarters full, I decided it was time to transfer them to my savings account. Do you have any idea how heavy a gallon of … [Read more...]