Category Archives: Uncategorized

   The 65-plus softball game had finished in 91-degree heat at noontime when I trudged – stinky and sweaty — to the parking lot along a main suburban street. I sensed the heat reflecting from the pavement and the stickiness of my T-shirt as I looked to the darkening western sky. A thundershower was imminent.Continue reading “Walking the fine line between acting kindly, appearing creepy”

  If you need to track down the Rev. Chris Carrara, try the Diocese of Ogdensburg offices on weekdays. Or perhaps he is celebrating a weekend Mass in Morristown, Hammond or Rossie. Or maybe you can catch him on his day off – Monday – working on a fire truck at the Morristown Volunteer FireContinue reading “Carrara wears collar at Mass, and police and fire emergencies”

   I had convinced myself that high school reunions were outdated. If I wanted to stay in touch with any of my 46 classmates, I already did so through social media.    So when the 50th reunion of the Morristown Central School Class of ’75 arrived last weekend, coinciding with Fourth of July festivities inContinue reading “50 years later, we’ve graduated to retirement, grandchildren”

  I see this online intermittently or I hear it on sports talk shows when I’m station hopping.   The commentator, obliged to fill his gig with commentary, asks his audience: “Name your Mount Rushmore of … .’’   You can complete his question. Greatest living baseball players? Greatest Nobel Peace Prize winners? Greatest U.S.Continue reading “Narrowing down a list of icons for Ogdensburg’s Mt. Rushmore”

   The old saying that preaches empathy suggests you walk a mile in another man’s shoes to understand his point of view.    If I encouraged you to walk 6.8 miles in my golf shoes, you would figure out that I’m a golf nut, exercise nut, and one of the cheapest nut jobs in NorthContinue reading “Wet golf shoes lead me to a walk on the wild side of spending money on myself”

    When you examine the story of Art and Cindy Quackenbush, it would be easy to say life is unfair.    You could argue that fate was unfair when Art suffered a life-threatening brain injury while reffing a girls basketball scrimmage at  Thanksgiving 2023. However, his medical emergency led his wife Cindy to early detectionContinue reading “Quackenbushes leave a legacy of care, commitment, loyalty”

   The retirees in my neighborhood bask in empty-nester status. Run our errands, complete our volunteer work, visit the grandkids by videocall, check to see what we can stream on TV.    We’ve regularly endured the deer that munch on the hostas that Mary has nurtured, as if she were catering to them with aContinue reading “How much wood could a woodchuck chuck … just go away varmint”

  (An earlier version was published May 30, 2021 in Old School Sports Journal.)   Christy Mathewson’s life had become a struggle by Memorial Day 100 years ago in Saranac Lake. He was one of the greatest pitchers in major-league baseball and later would join Walter Johnson, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner as inauguralContinue reading “Memorial Day salutes Hall of Fame ballplayer and Saranac Lake patient”

   The emails frequently read: “Fellas, PIE Day will be (insert day here). Who’s in?’’     PIE Day is the call for the fellas – Dan and Jeff – to show up in my kitchen for a piemaking session. PIE Day means we’ll be making apple pies, then giving them away to whomever we determineContinue reading “Before we give away pies, we gather for comedic routines   “

   Around our home, I’m known as the “finisher.’’     Need the dishes put away?  At 6-4, I handle the ones on the top shelf. No step stool required.     Can’t finish your steak? Pass your plate. I’ll make it disappear.     Is the clothes hamper too heavy? I’ll lug it down the stairs. IContinue reading “I could write a book on unfinished books”