I live in an area of the country where you need snow tires. At least I do. I find that my little ten-year-old Toyota Corolla is so light that it can’t get up snowy hills without them. That means that, … Continue reading →
I noticed—in this piece that purports to tell us what jobs are probably not going to go out of style in the near (or even distant) future—that “accountant” led the list. Well, that’s awfully nice—for accountants. But having been up … Continue reading →
The other day I came across this chronology of Crayola crayon colors. Although I must confess that Crayolas were something I hadn’t thought of in decades, it all came back in a rush. First there was the initial pack for … Continue reading →
I have a confession to make: I’m not extraordinarily fond of New Years Eve. Oh, back when I was a very little kid I remember liking it very much indeed. It was an opportunity to beg my parents to be … Continue reading →
My power came on yesterday afternoon. By the time I got back home, it was toasty warm and everything was working again. It was like watching something that had been dead come back to glowing life. I need to chase … Continue reading →
A few days ago I noticed a sign outside the local Burger King that said “Open on Thanksgiving.” It made me wonder just what a Thanksgiving Day gathering there might be like. But then I realized that I actually had … Continue reading →
Theodore Dalyrmple mourns the decline of the practice of browsing in secondhand bookstores. Now that the internet allows us to zero in on exactly and precisely the used book we might be looking for, it is no longer necessary—nor do … Continue reading →
This fall I’ve been engaging in the popular annual New England sport of thermostat avoidance. The idea is to see who can be last to turn on the central heating in house or apartment. Last one to do so wins. … Continue reading →
My mother has always loved the telephone. In the more leisurely era in which she lived most of her adult life, she touched base with about a dozen friends a day. Not to mention the need to talk to her … Continue reading →
I’ve said before that I’m not an auditory learner. Although dialogue is fine, and I never had a problem listening intently to clients, the prepared speech has always been an enormous bore to me. This was a big problem when … Continue reading →
I don’t drink. Oh, I can take a sip or two of almost any alcoholic beverage—sometimes even three or four sips on an especially wild night. And I enjoy them, as many of my friends and dinner companions have discovered. … Continue reading →
I saw some fireflies the other evening while I was taking a walk at dusk, the first time I’d seen any in many years. Ah, fireflies! One of the wonders of my youth. On warm summer nights—which are very common … Continue reading →