In the movie “High Fidelity,” John Cusack says, “Which came first – the music or the misery? Do I listen to pop music because I am miserable or am I miserable because I listen to pop music?” Personally, I like pop music and all kinds of music. I really enjoy listening to music with friends. […]
What Would Benny Hill Do?
I was third in line at the Safeway checkout (I hate the self-serve checkout line). The two people in front of me didn’t seem to have that many items in their carts. However, after two minutes of mentally checking my short shopping list and my current “to do” list I was still third in line. […]
The Future of Local Auto Repair Shops
The last new car my father bought was a mid-seventies Chrysler Imperial, which eventually was passed down to me. I donated it to the Rotary Club of Tacoma #8 for their annual auction, which raises money to fund local community projects. The car was purchased as a University of Washington Husky football tailgate vehicle and […]
The Foldscope Distribution Project Update
Intrepid hiker and world traveler Richard Dorsett stands by the window everyday watching and waiting for the delivery of Foldscopes (the origami folding microscope). He has tickets for Laos on December 28th. Once in Asia he will begin handing out Foldscope to middle school students to spark an interest is science. He will write of […]
The True Story of Lindy Lou
Mary Lavinia Cummins, and Netta Virginia Cummins, were identical twin sisters from Nevada, Missouri. They were children of the depression and World War II. My father, Donald Delos Doman married Mary Lavinia and spent WWII all over the South Pacific in the Merchant Marine. Virginia’s husband, Jacob Randall Whitworth fought in Italy during World WWII […]
A Tale of Two Family Christmas Traditions
One of my favorite holidays is Christmas. Even if I was Jewish or Muslim I would enjoy Christmas. It has nothing to do with religion . . . I just like the feeling and the traditions that make family memories. I read a post from my friend Amy Wigstrom about her mother and her own […]
The One Present Christmas – 1956
The 1950s were a great time to grow up in Tacoma, Washington. My family was the first on the block to own a television. I was glued to the TV as I watched Hopalong Cassidy, Gene Autry, and Roy Rogers. It seemed just in time for Christmas when the Sears and Roebuck catalog arrived in […]
Tents for Survival, Trade Shows, and Fun
Camping was all the rage in the 1950s. It was a family activity and was affordable. My family would generally go to the ocean (which meant Ocean Shores/Ocean City/Copalis) or Packwood. And I remember once we went “around the loop,” which is what traveling the Washington peninsula from the Tacoma area to Port Angeles to […]
Transporting Christmas
“Why do holiday stories always include transportation? I mean there were even travelers involved in the story of Jesus of Nazareth.” I was talking to myself, of course, but the guy at the table behind me laughed. I didn’t realize I had said it out loud. I turned and looked. A guy in his mid-sixties […]