Thoughts of a Common Man

I’ve had a pretty blessed life when it comes to traveling this awesome country. I lived in California in two separate trips, golfed in Golden Gate Park.  I’ve spent time in Iowa, Maryland, Connecticut, Florida and all points in between. On Monday and Tuesday I drove through Kansas - actually from Kansas City to Wichita. It’s an interesting drive. The sky feels like it’s right on top of you. The flat ground and the clear vantage points. I’ve told people that in Kansas you can watch your dog take off and track him for 4 miles from your porch. As I drove I put on Apple Car play and blasted music. The new Bruce song, Ghosts, is straight up phenomenal, but I put on some I could sing to. “I Go Crazy” by Paul Davis, “Bluer than Blue” by Michael Johnson, “If You Could Read My Mind” by Gordon Lightfoot, “I Go to Extremes” by Billy Joel. And to top it off, “I Fall In Love Again,” by Anne Murray. I can sing the hell out of all of those! But I stopped singing for a minute to pull to the side to se

It’s borderline ridiculous now. Supposedly he’s going to get up on a stage and debate Joe Biden for the highest office in the land. Over the last ten years, he supposedly paid less than two grand in taxes over that time. He owes $421 billion dollars to someone. Want to guess to who... ...China? ...Russia? That’s why he has kissed Putin’s ass from day one. There was even more bile-inducing information. He wrote off the cost of his hair at a tune of $70,000 a year. He paid a consulting fee to his daughter who was working as a full-time employee. He’s stolen millions and millions and millions from the government coffers and he has made laws to benefit himself. And he’s eligible to run??? More importantly there are people out there willing to vote for this? Okay, you got fooled once. You bought the act. That’s what conmen do. But now all the information is out there. Bankruptcies, tax fraud, failed marriage, porn stars, he blew off Covid-19 and thousands died. He’s nasty, doesn’t like dogs

My boys don’t remember the old episode of Happy Days when Fonzie has to admit to Richie that he was wrong. All of us at 50 or approaching it remember it, of course, ‘cause we all watched Happy Days and Henry Winkler as the Fonz was the biggest star in the land back then. He just couldn’t admit when he was wrong. I had a strange Sunday... ...got up and golfed and made it home in time to see the Bills jump out to a 14-3 lead, but then I had to head to the airport to fly out. Kathy and the boys were watching the game and they were getting loud. “Josh Allen looks great, right?” Jake asked. “He’s completing long passes now,” Sam added. But I couldn’t answer them because I had spent the first two years of Allen’s career mentioning that he wasn’t the answer at QB. I was wrrrrr... By the time I got to the airport it was 21-3. By the time I boarded the plane it was 28-3. Allen threw a pick. “See,” I thought. Twitter exploded saying it wasn’t a pick at all...just a horrible call. By the time the

Trump is out doing his rallies. The Covid-19 implications aside... ...it’s all disturbing stuff. He does a little rant about not getting news coverage from the media for his Nobel prize nominations and I guess he’s trying to be funny, pretending that he calls the First Lady to say he’s coming home from work early so they can sit in front of the television and soak it all in. His cult eats it up. It’s embarrassing. And what is most sad about all of this is how embarrassing it is. He does another rant where he mispronounces the name of the vice presidential candidate to make her sound more black or Muslim or some thing. Just mispronounces her name over and over as they cackle in the audience. Stomach turning. And, there’s a lot of the appeal. I try not to listen, I really do, but it’s actually all over the news. Lately he’s also been doing a skit about the reporter that was hit with a tear gas canister fired by the United States government. He mimics the reporter dropping. “That was grea

I have Sirius radio and I listen to a lot of talk radio on long trips... ...Howard, Dan Patrick, some political crap. I also listen to E-Street radio quite a bit, and I’m always happy that when I get back in the car after Kathy drives it that it’s always on The E-Street station. But every once he awhile I drift to the 80’s station or the classic rock station or the Bridge. The Bridge is the mellow rock station and I can go a long time without changing it because most every song is good and is from back in the time when I was a teenager. Like Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty. It’s a song that was on the radio every ten minutes in the late 70’s. It came on yesterday and I concentrated on it. I’m struggling to describe it because it’s not great...but I don’t mind it either. It amazes me that it’s still being played 40 years later. Africa by Toto is another song like that... ...everyone just kind of got used to it... ...and those two songs got played and played and played. A Horse with No Na

Sometimes you just want to take a peak ahead at what might happen. I thought of that when Trump said that the transfer of power may not go as peaceful as we’ve always expected it to go in a Democracy. I’m someone who believes that time is too important to wish away, but I certainly considered looking into the crystal ball to see how it plays out... ...that and the fact that these 40 days are going to seem to be an eternity. Yet, what will America look like in five years? Can’t I get a look at that? Will we be looking at a time when abortions are being done in back alleys again? Will people have healthcare? Will the financial divide between the haves and the have nots continue to grow? There was never a whole lot of thought in regard to the presidential contests. I distinctly remember going to bed the night when Carter beat Ford. Dad had let me stay up late to watch the returns because, hey, I was a 12-year-old who was fascinated by it. Everyone got to vote! Everyone’s vote counted!! I

I enjoy the little routine things in life.  Like my trip to the convenient store to get the paper each morning.  It’s consistent. Same thing every day. I have a running conversation going with Carol...just a few sentences each morning that’s gone on for about ten years running. I’ve never seen her outside of her place behind the counter, but I know things about her family and her about mine. The other day I walked in and even though it was fairly early there was a woman ahead of me in line. The woman was dressed in what looked like a long, pink nightgown. She was also wearing a hat that was tied up on a strap around her neck. I caught her in mid-sentence. “So, he kept asking me for my phone number, and I’m like, why do you need my number? I hide my number for a reason. If you give them your number they can track you. This ain’t my first rodeo. I told him that he didn’t need my number.” Carol looked up. The woman glanced behind at me. I had zero bearing on her need to tell all of the st

So my buddy Bruce is 71 years old today. I’m sure I’ll celebrate it with a few songs, and maybe even a drink.  We have been toasting him on his birthday for at least the last 35 years and I know I’ll hear from a few friends and family members today; “Don’t forger Bruce’s birthday!” The 71 after his name is making me nervous. He’s getting old! Yet, I also know that he will make music until the day he leaves the earth and that there will be a lot of music released after. He has a whole lot in the vault. Thing is, this year I’ve thought about it a lot because the one song he released on his previous record, “Moonlight Motel” is about a guy looking back... ...at decay. A once healthy relationship, at a once dynamic place, broke down and was nothing but a mess. You can hear the pain and longing and man... ...that song hit me hard. Of course, that’s the circle of life and at 71 years of age Bruce appears to have adapted pretty well. He’s writing songs that an older man should write. Some mig

It was 43 degrees when I set the tee in the ground on Sunday.  I promptly yanked my tee shot into the trees. I can’t swing in a jacket and wearing sweats. By the third hole I was in shorts and a tee. It was about 60 by then. “Are you cold?” Kathy asked as we watched a show later on. “A little.” The air was on. We went from the air to the heat within 45 minutes. And they’re talking about temps in the 70’s later this week, but I’m starting to see 38 on the dashboard at the start of the day. It’s the time of the year when you put three different jackets in the car... ...and end up sweating somewhere along the way. I’m not complaining, but the chill in the breeze makes me sad because the golf season is coming to an end. We finished up on November 1st in 2019.  But our last trip out in 2018 was on October 7th. So we can be down to the last few weeks here and that would make 2020 almost unbearable. A strange thing happened when RBG’s death was announced. “I’m done,” I told myself. Done with

 The number of people who have died of Covid-19 reached 200,000 this weekend. That’s according to Johns Hopkins and is considered to be an accurate, verified number. Of course, a lot of people are good with that. Some people think that only old, already sick people are dying. That’s not the case. Doctors and nurses and young and old. Entire families in some cases. Moms and Dads and sons and daughters. “The real death count is only like six thousand,” one woman said to me. “The rest died of other things and hospitals put it down as Covid so they could make more money.” That’s the story going around. It’s not true. Every year there is a census of sorts that details the number and causes of death in this country. We’ve had way more deaths here in 2020. That’s verifiable. A fact. I bring this up because on Sunday evening I saw a photo of a young woman. She had recently graduated from the University of Buffalo. She served as a doctor in Syracuse and then moved onto Houston. She was helping

Last Saturday when I was golfing I received a phone call from a co-worker and client. Normally people just text now so when I actually get a voice call I’m a little annoyed, to be honest. Yet, someone told me long ago to answer my phone and/or return all calls to run a successful business. I was wondering why he was calling though. He was also a text-first guy. I returned the call on the way home and it wasn’t what I expected. “I took two of your books with me on vacation,” he said. “I hadn’t read a book in 20 years. I read both of them in a matter of a few days.” “Excellent!” One of the books was ‘Oh Brother!’ “My God,” he said. “You really touched my heart.” Now, I can talk about Jeff all day long and I was thrilled to share a few more stories, but my friend also wanted to talk about my writing and he was overly excited to praise me. That’s always uncomfortable for me. For years I’ve fielded questions about the craft. Most start with: “I can’t even write a letter.” I don’t know how t

 The news came to me in a text: “That clinches it. The rest of our lives will be a mess.” Now that’s a pretty general text but I knew exactly what it meant because of the guy who sent it. I asked anyway: “What happened?” “RBG died.” The rest of the evening was a series of texts and tweets made by people who are scared of the immediate future as the hypocrite in charge of the senate, Moscow Mitch, will most certainly go back on that sound decision he made in the name of the moral high road when Obama was in his last year. He claimed that in an election year, the people deserved to have a say in the next Supreme Court choice. Would he stand on his high principle knowing that we are less than 50 days away? Of course not! Did you really buy the principle bit??, Moscow Mitch has no morals or principles or even any sense of decency. The first words out of his mouth were: “We’re gonna’ jam this down your throat whether you like it or not!” This will be a huge fight. I’m sure it broke RBG’s he

A couple of weeks ago I got into my car and turned the key... ...nothing happened. Now, I’m not much of a gear head, but I knew that the battery was dead, and despite my limited knowledge in the area, I can jump the battery.  I got the keys for Jake’s car and got the car going. “We need a battery,” Kathy said. “Yeah. I’ll go after work.” I got home in the early afternoon and headed up to write the daily reports before heading out. Got done and went to the driveway, fully intending on getting the new battery.  One problem. The car was gone. Kathy took it to therapy. Bah! By the time she got done I didn’t feel like going. Next day, I jumped the battery again before heading out on the golf trip. Jumped it six more times before I had the next chance to take it in. We called the place and they gave us a good price to replace the battery. They said they would install it and even pay us for the old battery. Perfect! Except I got there and the guy said: “We can’t install it in that model of ca

Things have been a little quiet writing-wise over here on South Lyth. Doesn’t mean I haven’t been working on a few different things. The problem has been that life itself has just felt a little off. I don’t write real productively unless I feel clutter-free and there’s a tendency to rush things or write garbage when I don’t feel mentally right. Adding to that is the unsettled market. It’s weird, but nationally we’re worried about eating, staying healthy and making our political views known to the world. I’m not going to write about Covid-19 or a tell-all about Donny T. So, unsettled. Where are we at? 1). Pathetic  This was an effort that was written after reading a mystery by Raymond Chandler. I like it and it’s finished - one more read-through after the edit. If someone put a gun to my head I could release it in 2020. Won’t do it. 2). Non-Fiction book on a battle with Penile cancer. Yeah. A tough write. Yet, I took on the work because it’s a battle being fought by a good family and aw

We’re watching the Kevin Costner show, Yellowstone. I really like it, and while the characters aren’t the most likable guys and gals, I’ve always enjoyed the cowboy tales. From the old movies with John Wayne and Dean Martin straight through Bonanza to this show... ...it’s just a draw to me for some reason. “We should buy a ranch,” I mentioned. “Oh yeah,” Kathy asked. “Who’s gonna’ do the work?” “Me.” “Really?? You’re going to gallop along on a horse lassoing a bull?” “I can do that.” She laughed.  “When I was younger,” I said. “Younger than when I met you?” Kathy asked. “Cause you weren’t gonna’ lasso nothing at the age of 29 either.” Touché. Yet, I always liked the thought of being a real man, I guess. I certainly could’ve worked hard enough. What I like most about the old westerns: 1). The bar scenes.  The swinging door to the saloon. Guys sitting down and ordering a full bottle of whiskey. Drinking in the old westerns is for tough guys. 2). The fights These dudes hit hard. Over noth

There’s a whistleblower complaint. Another one. This is for the work along the border. I’m certainly not surprised that the people are being held in cages. That’s been going on for three plus years. The fact that those in cages aren’t getting Covid-19 tests... ...that’s not surprising either. But, there was a deeper surprise contained in the complaint. It seems that a number of women have been given hysterectomies. For no good reasons, other than (as the complaint lays out) so the Mexican women do not have children on American soil. Just typing out that sentence turned my stomach. In America! Land of the free and home of the brave. We have women and children in camps... ...living in cages. And now we are mutilating healthy women in the name of... ...of... ...what exactly? Racism? If the playbook sounds familiar you may remember it from your history books. Concentration camps in Germany. Now there’s a long way to go with this story, as it only broke last night. But if you consider yours

The country is on fire. Literally and figuratively. The Los Angeles Times headline on Sunday showed all that the climate emergency is upon us, and even climate change deniers must believe... ...we can’t really continue to live this way. How many “storms of the century” have we lived through in the last few years. As for the figurative burning down of the country we are being threatened by hundreds and hundreds of people gathering without any sort of precautions. I’ve been telling guys on the job sites: The virus doesn’t care if you do or don’t believe in it. Imagine being so arrogant that you claim that you can’t die of cancer because you think it’s fake. Ask Herman Cain. Oh. You can’t. He thought masks were a joke. He’s dead. We also have a flamethrower amongst us. Trump is on tape telling Woodward how dangerous the virus was and is. Every single one of his actions has been counter to that. If you know and understand that the virus can kill people and you say the exact opposite... ...

Joe Militi was a really good guy. He passed away a few years ago, but over the last 20 years we have gathered in September to play golf as a group of friends. We were way understaffed this year! 2020 is a real pain! But 8 of us made sure that we still played a couple of rounds. There were two condos available so we were all able to sleep in our own room... ...and we wore our masks unless we were on the course. We played this year at Alexandria Bay at the Thousand Island Country Club. A great (but tough course) and a lot of laughs. I had a 4 hour ride so... ...I got out of the car a little stiff. Stiff when you’re swinging isn’t great. But as usual, there were good shots and bad shots and shots in between. I chipped one in from 30-40 yards out, and actually got fired up for that. But we raised our glasses and toasted old Joe... ...and we told a few stories of the glory days. “We gotta’ keep traditions alive,” my buddy mentioned. Exactly. Even in 2020. The weirdest year we’ll ever live t

On 9/11/01 we all stood together as Americans. We all felt a sense of duty and patriotism. The country was unified for a few weeks, as we all felt the pain of that horrible day. Three thousand lost souls. We would never forget. 1,024 Americans died yesterday from Covid-19. A thousand Americans each day for the last 3 or 4 months, actually... ...more than 190,000. And where are we? Trump stood on the stage yesterday and said that Woodward should’ve called the authorities to report that Trump was a danger when he downplayed what the virus meant for all of us. What?? Then he actually had the gall to go on the offensive and he stated that his political opponents all belong in jail. (For some reason). I was sickened just listening. Then I watched as people gathered to listen to the truly psychotic, undeniably strung-out, compromised, Russian asset who has lied to the American public every single day for the last 4 years... ...spout his mountain of lies. Couldn’t help but wonder... ...what h

On March 23rd I wrote a blog entitled, “He Knew!” So, of course, I wasn’t all that surprised in hearing Woodward’s tapes that proved Trump knew how bad the virus would be and that he lied about it. Of course he did! I knew that in March!! He’s been lying every single day since 1940-something. Thing is, his insistence that the virus was a ‘flu’ or the ‘latest hoax’, cost thousands and thousands of Americans their lives. Oops. On Wednesday afternoon he doubled down and said that he was trying to be a cheerleader. That’s not his job!! (Not to mention that sentence makes me picture him in a cheerleading outfit). 🤮  I don’t know how this plays out but he certainly doesn’t deserve a second term. He shouldn’t even be on the ballot. He should resign... ...and then he needs to be indicted. Early on in his presidency I heard it said that ‘Donald Trump will die in jail.’ I have hung onto that wonderful thought for a long time. Just wish that we didn’t have to lose all of these Americans. What a

For the last 6 months I’ve had to stop and put air in my tire at least 3 times a week. Now, you might say that I should fix the tire, but believe me, I have! I brought the car in to the place around a half-mile from my house 4 times now. Yesterday was attempt #4. And I always set the appointment for the end of my work day and I walk it home from there. It gives me a chance to clear my head. I even walk back to get it when it’s done (or not done as it turns out). Anywhoha... ...I was ambling down the road and I passed by a new family coming out of a newly remodeled home at the end of the road. I’ve never met them... ...but I clearly saw Mommy and Daddy and three kids. One was in a stroller, one was on a bike and the other was walking beside Dad. Dad was holding a leash that had a wild, black dog on the end of it. It made my heart skip a beat. A young family going for a walk. “I remember those days,” I called out, and sadness swept over me. I’d already lived that part of my life and I wa

It was 121 degrees in Southern California yesterday. The entire state is on fire again and it goes to show you that they just didn’t rake the floors properly again. All stupidness aside, the raging fires are a scary deal, right? Also, have you ever been in that kind of heat? It’s pretty dangerous. Years back, we made a drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Driving through the desert is a bit of a scary proposition. “Turn your air conditioner off!” The signs warned as we started out. I turned it off. “That’s crazy, leave it on,” Kathy said. It was 118 degrees. I actually won the argument and our air conditioner stayed off. About 30 miles in we saw an abandoned car. “What happened there?” Kathy asked. “He listened to his wife.” And the heat was stifling, but the drive was unforgettable. The fire in Northern California (a place I called home for a little while - twice) was reportedly started by pyrotechnics at a gender reveal party. Couple things; 1). I don’t get the gender reveal crap. Yo

I’ve always enjoyed working hard. This past May I was working around the yard. Really “grinding” as Sam calls it, and I was seated in the driveway, laying down plastic and clearing weeds. Then I tried standing up. When I got into the house some time later, I said: “I miss being able to work like a madman.” Since around 1976 I have worked constantly. I believe I collected unemployment for 1.5 weeks in 44 years. My jobs: 1). Farm Worker  Enjoyed the sun. Hated picking berries. Went home tired. 2). Stock Boy Avery’s Bells - I had a blast. The pretty girls were cashiers. I enjoyed working with my friend, Tom. We walked home and talked about our coming lives, and our love interests. We sat on the railroad tracks, drinking beer. Larry and Howie and a whole bunch of others worked there. It was like a party. 3). Union Laborer I had zero qualifications but I turned into a damn good laborer. I was young and strong and you want to talk about grinding? I had to bring it every day. Dad was the big

Mellencamp has a line in the song, ‘Crumblin’ Down’ that goes like this: “Ain’t no news here. I’m the same old jerk you’ve been having for years.” I use that line constantly in my marriage. The bottom line is that people don’t change all that much. Obama mentioned that becoming president doesn’t change who you are, it amplifies it. Thought of all of that when I heard that the White House is trying to excuse the horrific things that Trump has said about the troops by noting that he’s an ‘a$$hole.’ He didn’t actually mean it. But, I didn’t think too much of it when I first read the Atlantic article. Nothing was a surprise to me, and of course, I believed every single word because it’s who he is. Ain’t no news here. Google his talking or writing about the Central Park Five.  Watch his appearance before Congress to bash Native Americans. Look up the contractors he stiffed. The Gold Star family? What he said about John McCain or George H.W. or Obama or George W. He hates all equally. His br

We have a couple of new routines around here since Miller the Cat took over the house. First is pet time. That’s when I go up to bed. All three animals follow me for the night time ritual. I have a little snack for Melky and Paris as Miller settles on the floor and watches. Then all three jump on the bed to say good night. Paris is the overly affectionate one. Then I say, “Okay, bed time,” and Paris and Miller leave the room. Second is ‘look out the window’ time in the mornings. It’s Melky’s window. For the last, nearly 15 years, Melky has owned that window. She has ruled the neighborhood from that spot. Now she shares the window with Miller. In fact, Miller is there first in the morning. I open my eyes and there he is. When he sees my eyes open he meows. Now, the differences. Cats are not affectionate. We call him King Shit because he moves around the joint as if he is the one paying the mortgage. He meows when he sees someone, but when I try and pet him he races away. If I pick him u

The shit show is over. Trump can’t possibly survive calling the troops “losers” and “suckers” and all of those other disgusting things, can he? Couple of things here: 1). I didn’t think there was any possible way he survived the Access Hollywood tape last time around, but women voted for him.  They even wore shirts (and I use the term women loosely here) telling them where he could grab. 2). There will be denials of the story that is in The Atlantic, but how can anyone possibly believe that it’s not true? He hated John McCain. We heard him call McCain a loser.  We know he skips the ceremonies. He famously fought with a gold star family. He’s vile. It’s all true. 3). Sort of makes the Colin Kapernick story a non-story doesn’t it? Or is it just the flag that’s important? In Trump’s demented mind, the flag must be held in high regard... ...the “losers” and “suckers” who died to save the flag... ...who cares? In the end, this should be the final nail in his enormous political coffin. Guess

Will they finish the season? That might be the very first prediction.  I don’t think it goes off without a hitch. There are so many players and there’s no bubble. These guys like to go out. How one team doesn’t get it and pass it on is beyond me, but let’s pretend there’s a season. Prediction #1: Everybody kneels. There will be very few non-kneelers and Trump begins the year by actually saying the n-word on live television. Prediction #2 - Both the Patriots and the Bucs are good.  Say what you want, Hoodie and Tommy are both great. You hate ‘em ‘cause you ain’t ‘em. Plus ego is a major thing at that level. Neither man wants to be seen as anything but exceptional. Prediction #3: The teams with fans in the stands do better than the teams without, and how the league doesn’t have a standard rule for that is beyond me, but don’t worry about it, the sport will be ready for television. The NFL makes billions and they know how to put on a show.  Fans or not. Prediction #4 The Buffalo Bills cir

Today is the 60th anniversary of the day when John and Lynda stood in a church and pledged their love for one another. ‘Till death do you part. And unfortunately, Dad isn’t here to celebrate, but man, it should be celebrated. Mom and Dad were a remarkable couple. They were on each other’s nerves from time-to-time and they both had a strong presence. Anyone who ever met my Dad might think that he ruled the roost, but there was only one person who could stand up to him, and actually make him back down. Yeah. Mom. And they laughed a lot together. There’s a great photo of them at a wedding... ...both laughing hysterically. Mom looking at Dad. I think of another day. I was coming in from college... ...heard music blasting. Kenny Rogers. “Through the Years.” They were dancing in the living room. Dad, who could really belt it out was singing. I didn’t say a word. Just stepped back out of the room... ...the image of them dancing... ...after all those years... ...and all those crazy kids... ...

There are too many sad moments and they are back to back to back to back, every hour, of every day. And every twenty minutes, Trump tweets: “LAW AND ORDER!!” All caps.  Is law and order pardoning Roger Stone or John Flynn? Is it in the details of backing up the 17-year old kid who killed two people and shot another as people closed in on him to stop him? Is law and order equating a cop shooting to missing a 3-foot putt? Is law and order trying to blame the president before you or the next possible president for all that’s going wrong? Law and order isn’t happening right now. Is law and order ignoring the fact that Russians are killing Americans and we don’t hear a word about it? Is law and order going to the Supreme Court to try and hide your taxes because if anyone sees them it will bring irreparable harm (his own lawyers words). What are the Americans who are rooting for a Trump re-election thinking? He’s blaming Joe Biden for violence that’s happening in his streets! “But there are

A buddy of mine captured the feel before an early morning flight: “Sleeping with one eye open ‘cause you can’t miss it.” It’s true. I always sleep lousy before a early flight, but I heard the alarm at 4:00 and had plenty of time to get ready. Left the house in good shape around 4:50. Started my mental check of everything I needed to do my job. It hit me instantly. I left my suitcase in the stairwell! “Are you f***ing kidding me!” I was through the tollbooths and needed to turn around. Was so pissed at myself that I actually missed the first exit where I could turn around. I had my wallet and my phone and my computer. Did I actually need the rest of the stuff in the bag? Work boots and hard hat? All of my clothes? Yeah. I needed the bag. I turned around. Kept looking at the clock. An hour to go. I raced home and it also hit me that I had locked the door and didn’t have a house key. One more thing: My foot was killing me! No idea why...didn’t hurt during golf...woke up that way. Time che