Dave’s Diaries: Life, writing and more

  • Our roots and their keepers

    Our roots and their keepers

    Another box to look through as we declutter. This one sat in the basement, out of sight and definitely out of mind, since we moved in 14 years ago. The weight tells me it’s either very important or something once important, now useless. Inside is a magnificent old family history book, 1,315 pages long, published… Read more

  • Our hometown

    This time it’s personal. The dateline isn’t San Bernardino, Colorado City, Charleston, Newtown, Roseburg, or any of the other well-known places where shots were fired and innocent people were slaughtered. I heard those stories, and too many others to mention, in sadness and anger but with no sense of connection. All of those events were… Read more

  • Stuff and sense

    Stuff and sense

    Luggage tags from the 1996 presidential campaign. Cub Scout insignia from the early 1960s. An extremely cool-looking desk fan from the same era (pictured at right). CDs I’ve forgotten buying by bands I no longer know why I liked. 40th-birthday banners. Socks that are old enough to drink and vote. These are just some of… Read more

  • Hot to bot

    I usually avoid cliches like the plague, but brother, this one is right dead center on target: old age ain’t for cream puffs. It’s hard enough just getting up some mornings, then you open the (electronic) paper and are greeted with the bulletin that “The sexbots are coming.” Believe it or not, I had a… Read more

  • This land is their land

    The Saturday after the Paris attacks I watched football as usual, but also for a little normalcy, a break from apprehension and sorrow. The game I saw was ideal for that purpose: Michigan vs. Indiana, taking me back to my home turf and calling up memories of football Saturdays in Ann Arbor 40 years ago.… Read more

  • Bun amuck

    Bun amuck

    Women, is your man hard to shop for? And maybe a little short in the style department? Did you swipe right on a sizzling metrosexual dude who turned out to look like Dilbert instead? Want the perfect gift for your guy in this holiday* season? Well, here it is: The clip-on man bun. Take a… Read more