“Watch, Daddy!”

“Amazing, buddy!”

“Look at this, Mommy!”

“That was so cool, honey!”

The video is old and grainy but the emotions couldn’t be clearer. Kids are taking turns jumping off a diving board in creative ways, beaming as we cheer them on.

Wasn’t it just moments ago I was…

My parents had more or less lost interest in child-rearing by the time I came along, a decade after they’d already had three kids. My mother was dramatic and unpredictable which left me a little scared of the world.

If I had a less-than-idyllic childhood, I’ve probably had a happier-than-average…

My morning walk time came and went because Dog Mom was too busy whining about Medium. There was the usual moaning about writer’s block, bellyaching about editors and griping about “stats”, which is apparently more important than my full bladder.

I’ve been watching closely — partly to see if she’ll…

“This problem is the result of temperature changes and the soil you have here,” he said, pointing at the gap that had opened between the house and the porch, “I’d be willing to bet your foundation issues are extensive.” Extensive is contractor-speak for expensive.

Silly us, carelessly leaving our house…

Do you remember the original Hollywood Squares? It debuted in 1965 and was NBC’s clever way of showing off the network’s comedians. The show’s writers supplied jokes, known as zingers, for such luminaries as Paul Lynde, Rose Marie and Rich Little, who used his opportunities to do impressions of other…

A couple of weeks ago, a prominent Medium humor publication ran a piece entitled “28 Reasons Dogs Are Better Than Cats”.

Now we all know dogs are currently winning the public relations war but I think cat-lovers deserve their say.

30 Reasons Cats Are Better Than Dogs

1. Dogs appear to love you because you’re the dude with…