Renegade bulbs shoot us some green

My dear wife Karen remembers digging up the tulip bulbs at this particular corner of a front garden last fall. They didn’t get along well with the juniper-come-lately as it grew. And they’d been there coming up on 10 years. Karen says they’ve been looking more and more scraggly each year. A couple little buggers…

I have been Dragon my feet on Loyalty, Liebster awards

Time to empty the WordPress guilt closet. I’ve been putting off my official acceptance post for a couple of awards that came down the pike in the last week or so. First, my music-loving friend peacelovegreatcountrymusic nominated me for the Dragon’s Loyalty Award. This blog is full of good tips about what you should listen…

A Word About Words – Stephen Fry

Originally posted on Unload and Unwind:
I came across this first thing this morning when taking a quick look at Facebook. My son had put this up on his page, mentioning having watched it in a lecture regarding language of the ‘proper’ use thereof and I found it both utterly hilarious as well as more…

My plan to save college sports

The subject of college sports and payment of athletes again rages around America because a labor board ruled in favor of certain players being able to start a union. It’s a heavy topic, with complicated layers and possible ramifications. I come with a simple plan. I think it’s fair to all college athletes. Take the…

I find a pile of old family photos, and here come the memories

I found a bounty of photographs I didn’t even know I had yesterday. I’ve been thinking that my sisters, Fran and Dory, were the keepers of the really good stuff. Apparently there were plenty of Kodak moments to go around. There’s been a volume somebody at sometime put together for me, hiding in a never-used…

Rain, rain, go away, I’ll finish the ark in two more days

I know, the subject of Noah, the ark and all that water is not very funny. All it takes to get very serious about the Biblical tale all over again is to see the trailer featuring Russell Crowe as the ark-builder. Tense! And yet, as I ponder the epic cinematography to come in “Noah,” I…

This guy Beels has heard lots of nicknames

I called my buddy KP. That’s short for Kingpin, a nickname he was given three decades ago. And as we golfed virtually, ate burgers and drank drafts, KP called me Beels. That’s a nickname that’s stood through decades, too. But it certainly wasn’t my first nickname. When I was of soft-cereal age, there used to…

A community is welcome to appreciate art at La Casita

Artist Abisay Puentes says he changed the concept several times as the deadline approached for the opening of his exhibit “Mist.” On opening night last week in the newly refurbished La Casita in Syracuse, N.Y., community members slowly walked past his final result. It was an interesting display. Part mural, part gallery. The native of…

Virtually time for the Masters

Kingpin and I stepped up to the first tee at Augusta National last night. The fairway on the screen was green as can be in the golfing booth in OptiGolf. For our second virtual golf session between real rounds here in Syracuse, N.Y., my best friend and I decided to choose the computer rendering of…

Forecaster says one more snow, but I look for spring anyway

The Syracuse TV station weather guy said Wednesday morning shall bring one last snow. He called it the last gasp of winter, as a matter of fact. I hope so. As I walked with Ellie B, aka Dogamous Pyle, this afternoon prior to the last snowy hurrah, I kept my eyes open for any signs…