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TALL GRASS
When I was a child, my friends Charlie Aldridge and Billy Seyfried liked to play baseball. There were plenty of empty lots which we often converted into ball fields. There was a problem because the weeds and grass had to be cut down before the ball game could start. But the only means of cutting…
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SONIA GOES HUNTING
As most Americans will recall, there are eight Associate Justices on the United States Supreme Court. One of them is Sonia Sotomayor, who originally came from the Bronx in New York City. Now it is important for readers of these essays to know that no self-respecting fox, raccoon, squirrel, or rabbit has ever inhabited the…
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THE HONDA BUMP ENHANCER
About this time in 2009, it was decided that the 2001 Chrysler, which had given impeccable service over the years, should be traded. I used to think highly of my skills as a negotiator but in this case we ran into an implacable enemy. The implacable enemy was the salesman who sold us a new…
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TO GIVE ONE BIG FAT RAT’S ASS
Over the years I have been a big consumer of sports news. Specifically, I have followed the fortunes of the New York Mets and before that the St. Louis Cardinals. When the fall and the winter came, I followed some of the St. Louis college teams but after the war, I was much interested in…
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TOO JUST RIGHT
At this point I have written a few essays beyond the 700 mark. It is possible that it is a repeat of an earlier essay, but I doubt it. And in any case, it is a pleasant memory which obviously bears repeating. In 1955 my employer decided that he had a promotion for me and…
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HAVE AMERICANS GONE SOFT?
In the late 1940s, I found myself in Boston. I had always thought of Boston as being among one of the cooler climes. But this was in August and I found myself sweating profusely. As a final resort, I repaired to a movie theater that offered some sort of cooling. I am not sure at…
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GETTING KISSED
As soon as I could after the war, I returned to work for the AT&T Corporation in St. Louis. It may not have been the wisest move I ever made but Congress had passed a law that provided that those of us who had worked in industry prior to military service should be reinstated. AT&T…
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THE RETURN AND/OR THE REVERTING BACK TO STANDARD TIME
This is being dictated on Friday, November 4, which is the eve of one of the happiest days in my long life. The happiness comes from the fact that tomorrow evening we will do away with daylight savings time. For a small while, if the politicians will keep their noses out of this celestial business,…
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EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS
[Quick note from Kevin: We’re now officially foraying into 2011. Think I’d start with a piece or two written about one year ago exactly. Enjoy!] As I have reported to you on more than one occasion, my first memory of anything occurred in October of 1926. Prior to that time, the New York Yankees had…