Oddball
Thoughts

Every Shirt Has a Stain and Story To Go With It

I’m a little overweight .. okay, maybe not just a little … Because I like to eat I’m mostly okay with that. Except .. I suffer from “chest of drawers syndrome”. Everything I eat goes from my chest to my drawers. Coffee, pasta sauce, balsamic vinegar, beef stew, pizza...

Sephardic Wedding

“What are you doing on Saturday night?”  “I dunno.” “Ya wanna make some money?”  “Sure. What’s the deal?” “There’s a wedding at the Sephardic Temple.  They need Busboys.  And, it’s a BYOB event.”  “What’s BYOB” “Bring your own bottle.” “It should be fun.”  “Okay, I’ll...

The Commune

It was 1973.  Mary Anne and I were living together in what we called a commune on Staten Island.  It was actually a nine-bedroom Victorian house that seven college students all found at just about the same time.  So, we did what any kid who was looking for cheap...

My Dog

I have a dog named Piccolina.  It means, Little One in Italian.  Since she’s about 11 inches tall, the name fits her like a glove.  Like all dogs, she likes to sniff.  A post, a poll, a leg .. just a whiff..  If there’s a spot on the ground, it’s something she’s found...

Simca

It was a nice sunny day in Cleveland, Ohio.  It was 1967 and II was in the Army stationed at a Nuclear Missile Base.  This was my day off duty.  I had recently bought a Simca … a car that cost me $400.  That was a lot of money in those days when I was only earning $82...

Winning a Huge Stuffed Animal

My Dad took me to the Far Rockaway Boardwalk.  I’m guessing I was 10 or 11 years old. He knew I loved to ride the Bumper Cars.  Just before the ride started you were told not to bang into any of the other cars.  Yeah, right?  The best part of the ride was to bang into...