Stories From My Life – Sketches, anecdotes, yarns and events

A B-747 Experience

The Queen of the Skies was truly a wonderful ship. On the times I was in business class on Pan Am trans-Pacific routes, the upper deck was a non-smoking business class area and it felt like we were in our own private plane. Those were also the days when the entrance to the flight deck was simply a black curtain! 80s, All, Tech, Travel

Custom TextBox : …thanks for not calling them ‘adverts’ like our mates across the pond…

Changing Gears

…thanks for not calling them ‘adverts’ like our mates across the pond… “Hey Pando,” Eddie called to me loudly from across our table, around which were seated various denizens comprising our local native wits, who were trying to enjoy Toni’s powerful overcooked and over-perked copper-colored liquid that she playfully lists as “coffee” on the menu of The Scruffy Dog Cafe. All, Humor, Scruffy Dog Cafe

Custom TextBox : Since reading “State of Denial” a couple of years ago, I’ve been a fan of Robin Mahle’s Lacy Merrick and Kate Reid novels…

The Kill Season

Since reading “State of Denial” a couple of years ago, I’ve been a fan of Robin Mahle’s Lacy Merrick and Kate Reid novels… Primarily because they combine elements of great story-telling with excellent three-dimensional characters, particularly her strong female leads. Read More All, Book Review

Custom TextBox : We bring you the latest in New Journalism

Writers Get Paid by the Word

We bring you the latest in New Journalism Today I was reading news articles on my iPad. I noticed that over the past week, every now and then there’s an article where the author appears to be paid by the word, based on the totally superfluous garbage used to set the scene, as if they were writing a play. Read All, Anecdotes, Stories

Custom TextBox : Serious tit-for-tat Cold War harassing tactics

Spy vs. Spy – Berlin 1966

Serious tit-for-tat Cold War harassing tactics Yeah, while Vietnam was a pretty hot zone and pretty screwed up from the beginning, Berlin was a cold war zone, with daily incidents at the wall. 1996We had free access to the East and our visible intelligence officers cruised around in green military vehicles. Read More 60s, All, Anecdotes, Germany, Places

Custom TextBox : Neighbor Gagan signals approval!

Neighbors and Pizza

In August of 2019 our neighbors Vic and Sandy invited several couples over to share pizza on their newly-completed front patio. Daunna and I joined Marc & Mimi, and Swapnil & Gagan in celebrating. The featured photo shows Gagan offering his approval! 10s, All, Life, People

Custom TextBox : The story – 5 stars; The mechanics – 1 star

6th Extinction by Bob Blink

The story – 5 stars; The mechanics – 1 star As I did with my recent review with Timelines, which I believe was Bob Blink’s first Kindle book, I will divide this review of his latest novel into two parts, Read More All, Book Review

Custom TextBox : If you like chilling and dramatic horror stories, this is for you!

Betrayed by Shelly Knox

If you like chilling and dramatic horror stories, this is for you! This was an exciting but very descriptive book about a serial killer who targets women who are on the verge of giving birth. He kills then removes the living baby, which he then sells to a broker. Read More All, Book Review

Chosen – Cassandra Project Book 1 by O. M. Faure

This was a well-written and very interesting sociological sort-of sci-fi thriller that takes place in a dystopian Kingdom of England and Wales toward the end of the 21st century. Read More All, Book Review

Custom TextBox : Do not ever forget to log off a shared terminal; not doing could have terminal consquences

Forgetting to Log Out of Shared Workstation

Do not ever forget to log off a shared terminal; not doing could have terminal consquences I recently had a discussion with a friend about working in an office in the 1980s. I recalled an experience in 1983 when our word processors were shared IBM terminals. 1983 Read More 80s, All, Anecdotes, Moments, Rolm

Custom TextBox : Tod as a military tour guide in Berlin (1966)

Tour Guide in Berlin

California boy guiding tour bus of American soldiers through East Berlin In the 1990s I worked for an outfit that had developed a reasonably inexpensive way to to transmit voice and data over fiber optic cables. One of the investors was Deutsche Telekom and we had an office in Bonn.1996 Read More 80s, Anecdotes, Germany

Custom TextBox : Sometimes simply relocating elsewhere has amusing consequences

Learning a New Dialect

Sometimes simply relocating elsewhere has amusing consequences Shortly after moving from the San Francisco Peninsula to Bloomington, Indiana, I needed to set up refills for some prescriptions. Read More 00s, All, Anecdotes, Life, Moments

Custom TextBox : Never follow a set routine

Picking Up Mail

Never follow a set routine Our neighborhood is served by a community mailbox where all of our mailboxes are contained in one large box on a pedestal where the mail carrier delivers our mail. Read More39.1534253-86.467236 10s, All, Anecdotes, Moments

Custom TextBox : You can never pull a fast one on a 1st Sergeant – they will eventually catch on

Saturday Morning Army Inspection 1960s Berlin

You can never pull a fast one on a 1st Sergeant – they will eventually catch on I was in the Army in the mid-60s, stationed in Berlin as a telephone repairman / switchboard operator. Our outfit was a Signal company, which included any job pertaining to communications – telephone, radio, microwave, crypto, whatever. Read More 60s, Decades, Germany, Humor, Moments

Custom TextBox : Fiona created an amusing verse after an afternoon of play ended by a drizzle

Drizzly Day

One afternoon in 1993 or 94, I took our daughter Fiona to Foothills Park above Palo Alto. It's great for enjoying a picnic, hiking the trails, or playing catch. 1990s Read More 90s, All, Anecdotes, Fiona

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Beware infant daughters from bosses bearing gifts !!!!!

Dave’s Insanity

Beware bosses bearing gifts! Back in the mid-1980s I had a boss who knew that I liked to spice up soups with Tabasco sauce. One day he gave me a new bottle of Dave’s Insanity. Read More 80s, All

Fourth of July 2018

Getting together with neighbors Daunna and I joined two other couples for burgers, dogs, watermelon, corn on the cob. Read More 10s, All, Anecdotes, People

Ugly Encounter at a “T” Intersection in Australia

Take the road less traveled but choose your route wisely One afternoon as I varied my route from work at IBM, taking a different road to my motel, I came upon a T intersection, with my road ending at the cross street. On approach, one lane became two: One for turning left, the other, right. Read More 80s, All, Anecdotes, Australia