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Joe Avezzano made me a platypus
It was Nov. 1, 1980. I was visiting family in the Bay Area for the weekend, and my dad had two tickets to the Stanford-Oregon State football game — a game neither of us really cared about. We went...
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Noontime exercise
It happens every day. If I sit too long at the computer, I either start aching or nodding off. Yesterday, a long day, I got up numerous times. Around noon, I took a walk from the Gazette-Times office...
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In tribute to Rick Arnott
When Rick Arnott shook my hand a couple of weeks ago during a community meal at our church, I was struck by a couple of things. First, it was a wincingly firm handshake, the kind you don’t forget. And...
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Living memorial to a wonderful guy
It was seven months ago today that we woke up to the sounds of a 90-foot-tall pin oak crashing down in Takena Park about 50 yards from our house. The huge tree took out another smaller tree in its...
View ArticleBoy Scouts of America needs to re-examine policy banning gays
In 1962, my mother was the den leader of a Cub Scout Pack with a bunch of rambunctious 9-year-old boys. She took us on lots of field trips and guided us through bird-house construction and other...
View ArticleRapid advancement to 103
On Monday morning, I took my mother, Dottie Kislingbury, to a bank in Millbrae, Calif. Dottie wanted me to have future access to her safe deposit box. Just a quick signature, and we would move on to...
View ArticleFarewell to the Huffy hoop
I ordered a DH classified ad late Wednesday afternoon for a “Free Huffy basketball hoop. You haul.” At 9:10 Thursday morning, I got a call from a woman in the Lebanon area who wanted it and agreed to...
View ArticleGrilled salmon vs. eclipse: I’ll take the salmon
On Sunday afternoon, I got a few things done at work, went grocery shopping and spread some grass seed over the spot where our now-departed Huffy basketball hoop had resided for 15 years. The Ring of...
View ArticleScenic morning at Mallard Creek
I’ve never particularly liked coming back to work after a three-day holiday weekend. Last Tuesday was an exception. I had been at the DH office less than two hours when I headed to Mallard Creek Golf...
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A combined 561 years
I’ve noticed at Fred Meyer that you can get greeting cards for big birthdays up to the 100th. Yesterday I was looking for a 95th birthday card, and found one. It was for our dear former neighbor Esther...
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Morning calm before OSU commencement
In a Gazette-Times story the other day, OSU spokesman Steve Clark said the crowd for OSU’s commencement featuring keynote speaker Michelle Obama would be comparable to that of a crowd for an OSU...
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Fourth of July tribute to John Adams
David McCullough’s 2001 biography on John Adams was a hefty 600-plus pages. I wish it went on for another 600 pages. I didn’t want to put the book down when I finished reading it in May. If Adams were...
View ArticleNice night at River Rhythms, fireworks
We got to River Rhythms sometime after 8:30 Wednesday night, and set up our chairs by the concrete path a few yards from the beer garden, a new addition. We couldn’t see Ty Curtis and his band, but we...
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Raised-brush salute to house painters
Whenever I look down at my hands or legs this summer, I can see specks of white paint. I usually get most of the paint off, but there’s always something I’ve missed. I’ve been painting the house in my...
View ArticleHappy 65th to Carlos Santana
Happy 65th birthday (on July 20) to the world’s greatest guitarist, Carlos Santana! It seems like yesterday that he was 22 and playing “Soul Sacrifice” at Woodstock and “Fried Neckbone” at Fillmore...
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Always an athlete and still a coach
When John Radetich stopped by the Gazette-Times to talk with me Tuesday, he had just come from one of his twice-a-week sand volleyball games at Chintimini Park. At 63 and nearly 6-foot-3, he’s in good...
View ArticleQuick, efficient implosion
I thought a lot of debris would fall on nearby Interstate 5 following Sunday’s implosion of the No 4 Recovery Boiler at the shuttered Albany Paper Mill. ODOT workers did a quick driveby look...
View ArticleWAR got us moving at River Rhythms
Lonnie Jordan, keyboardist, frontman and the only original member left in funk band WAR, kept things lively Thursday night at River Rhythms concert in Monteith Riverpark. Dancers young and old never...
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The 10 greatest over-60 rock/pop performers
Paul McCartney remains a great showman. His “Hey Jude” finale for Friday’s opening ceremonies of the London Olympics was fabulous. Sir Paul’s performance came during a week in which I had been thinking...
View ArticleGreatest over-60 rock/pop performers: The addendum
After posting my Top 10 Greatest Over-60 Rock/Pop Performers the other day, I got a bunch of comments, as expected, with other suggestions for the list. I’ve thrown out Freddy Mercury because he’s been...
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