President James Madison sat at his writing desk, pen in hand, when a sentry burst in. “Mr. President, the White House is on fire!”   Madison bolted upright, nearly knocking himself out of his booster seat.   “The what?” Madison replied, on the floor on his knees and looking around for his pen.    […]

   So, what began as a humdrum weekend chaperone with Carol’s two oldest grandchildren soon metastasized into Carol and yours truly hosting a New Year’s Eve California beach party extravaganza for, now, six swarming, super-energized hormonal containment systems, otherwise known as teenagers. Or at least, that was how I was initially projecting the new plan. […]

   I’m six months old. I understand more than I get credit for, and as near as I could figure it, I was in for a time this evening not unlike the moment I emerged from my mommy. Except worse. Instead of a doctor, a nurse and what I’d come to realize as my “parents,” […]

   The main phalanx of Madigans rolled into the local burger joint like the first Roosevelt Administration, a collection of siblings, cousins, neighbors and parents to celebrate a boy’s 9th birthday. The pool table was the first casualty, cues and balls used in ways never intended by the rules of the game. I was on […]

   So there’s a joke that goes, God grants you one more day on earth and says it can be about anything you want. You say, “I want to learn how to make pasta, eat at an Italian restaurant and then stay over at a cute pension in Little Italy.”   I know, it’s not […]

Vacations give a better outlook on life and motivate one to achieve goals. Here are some factors to emphasize the importance of vacations:

   I was in my 70th year when I asked Carol Madigan to meet me in person, after only a few weeks of exchanging wise cracks via Facebook PM. At this point I was smitten by someone simultaneously wielding a sweet disposition and a Yonkers cutting wit. I was in over my head once again, […]

A good sense of humor can help you in dealing with difficult situations. It appears to be a calming remedy to relax anyone. Here are some health benefits of laughter and humor.

   Living through your 70s is mostly a time of experiencing new diminishments of one’s physical and mental capabilities. It can take as long to get out of a chair as it does to remember what you had for dinner the previous night, for instance. Your gait begins to resemble Tin Man’s in the rain. […]

   As soon as Carol saw the motel room, she didn’t like it. She had picked the hotel, based on my desire to be walking distance to an Italian restaurant (any Italian restaurant) in Big Bear, and her wish to stay in a place where she wouldn’t have to jam the luggage against the door […]