Shelf the Elf

One of the guiding principles for writers is the “rule of three.” Basically, using three examples for something tends to work better, especially in comedy. But as Mike, my oldest nephew, recently pointed out, the theory also applies to parenting….

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Looking for a Small Victory

As with many things I do, it seemed like a good idea at the time. On a grocery store trip a long time ago, my wife brought home an apple-flavored trail mix, granola sort of thing from the bulk food…

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Parking Lot Problems

I had to travel for work recently. I don’t have to do this often so it still has some novelty involved. I have a few traditions for these trips. I try to sample as many local beers as I can….

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Jell-O Confession

When I made my confession, I figured I would end up as the bad guy in the scenario. It turns out that I had completely misjudged the situation. My daughter made a special request for one of my wife’s recent…

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Who Am I?

Sometimes I wonder what I have become. I still think I have my usual fun outlook on life most of the time, but come across moments where I don’t recognize myself. That happened recently when I had one of those…

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Bingo!

I had an idea several years ago. I wanted to go to every local carnival and make up a t-shirt with the information about each one like a rock tour shirt. That plan fell apart for two reasons – my…

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Look at the Brightside

At some point, I will get used to the scene. I hope I don’t, however. This thought ran through my head late on a Saturday night as I jumped up and down and sang “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers at…

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Street Kayaking

When I woke up last Friday, I knew we had a problem on our hands. The morning of our last full day at the beach brought a whole lot of rain. We had already weathered the storm – literally. The…

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Popcorn Time Machine

The topic of older technology comes up in our house once in a while. That usually leads to my daughter laughing. But one thing from a bygone era which does not result in chuckling is the many ways you can…

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Hidden Presents

On Christmas morning, I tried to keep everything as normal as possible. We get up, open presents and enjoy our annual treat of mini powdered donuts. But, at some point, I may have wanted to sneak off to each room…

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