I have a friend who I met only once. As all the rest of us are in the second day of incrementally accomplishing our list of New Year’s Resolutions, my friend has one too. But only one. To come home. If not today, then tomorrow. From the hospital. He just wants to come home. As […]
To Ponder
Kid Life; Messin’ Up. Circa 1966/67, and makin’ nice again
Submitted by John Lincicome. “Why did you do that, Johnny?” It was a difficult time for me. I’d grown just old enough that the stuff in my world that didn’t make sense, manifested itself in a way that was inappropriate. It was among the first times I lashed out so significantly, but it darn sure […]
Letter: Why is Lakewood City Council endorsing a questionable self promoting “swami”?
Submitted by John Arbeeny. I read with interest the Suburban Times (22 December 2021) article entitled “Lakewood City Council Summary Monday December 20” which contains the following proclamation endorsing a certain “brand” of Hinduism. It declares 3 January 2022 in honor of the religion but more specifically an individual with a Hindu connection named “Nithyananda”. […]
2021; The Year In Relief
Submitted by Chas. Ames. Less than a week into the year, ‘concerned Trump voters’ trashed the nation’s capitol in an attempt to ‘restore law and order’. They felt it was necessary to destroy America in order to save it. Yeah. It was time to put away the Christmas decorations. In other attempts to prove “Patriotism!®”, […]
“The Oregon Trail” by Bekah Brunstetter is Being Re-opened
You don’t need a time machine to visit the past . . . you just need to open your eyes and read . . . and imagine. Funny, provocative, and intelligent, the play “The Oregon Trail” by Bekah Brunstetter follows 90’s kid Jane from Middle School, where she takes solace in her favorite 8-bit video […]
Best restaurant openings of 2021 in Tacoma & Pierce County – a year in review
2021 was a great year for culinary gains. While we had fewer restaurant openings than past years – understandably so – we did get: Our first full-service Colombian restaurant – with fresh-juice cocktails! A Neapolitan pizza joint – with great amoro-based cocktails! A retro-themed cocktail lounge – with the area’s best assortment of classic cocktails […]
Across the Fence: A Shoe for Good Luck
It’s New Year’s Eve. As I’m getting older and the world has been changing so much, I will probably do as I have done these past few years – have a glass of bubbly to send out 2021, then go to bed sometime between nine and ten. The fall of the ball in New York […]
Westside Story – Tiny White Triangle
This coming January 9, 2022, at 10:00p I have been out of Lakewood for a year. I do not and cannot write much for The Suburban Times these days because of my severed connection with “back home”. Conversely, every once in a while a subject comes up that is so appropriate, helpful, or entertaining that […]
Enchantment – A Film Review of a Wonderful Love Story
Storyline: “Uncle Rollo finally retires to the house he was brought up in. Lost in thoughts of his lost love, Lark, he does not want to be disturbed in his last days. However, the appearance of his niece and the subsequent romance between her and Lark’s nephew causes him to re-evaluate his life and offer […]
What we’ve learned
Pierce County Executive, Bruce Dammeier story. We all know that 2020 was a difficult, exhausting year. I know I expected 2021 to be a bit easier, with us well on our way to recovery. As I wrote in last week’s blog, I was wrong! The past 12 months have taught or reinforced important lessons – about […]
Across the Fence: A German Childhood Christmas
The older one gets, the fonder one looks back on memories. It’s called nostalgia, and often enough things seem rosier than they were. But I think my German childhood Christmases were pretty much perfect. I can’t transmit you the fragrances, but I can give you some impressions of the sounds if you care to click […]
My Favorite Christmas Movies of All Time
Christmas movies lift the spirits no matter what the time of year. Between Christmas and New Year’s though, it’s great to receive just an extra helping of joy, brotherhood, and love to end the year and start up the new one. Here are six films that carry the Christmas theme whenever you watch them. The […]