A big SHOUT OUT to my brother, Brian, and his colleagues for receiving the Kansas Adult Education Association (KAEA) Humanitarian Award!
Atchison’s Good Ol’ Days
I wrote an essay titled “Atchison, Kurashiki, and the Moody Blues” (Moody Blues as in missing my Grandma Moody, not the prog rock band…although they rock!). It was published in the Atchison Daily Globe on January 5, 1999. I even found it in the on-line archives of the newspaper! In memory of my Grandma Moody, I now share it with all of you. And how I truly wish the last paragraph was still possible today. I miss you Grandma.
Intellectual Rock: A RUSH Top Ten!
I stayed up late last night watching a Netflix documentary on one of my favorite bands: RUSH! If you have never given RUSH a serious listen, you should! You can start with my Top Ten RUSH songs.
Butter on Ramen? Only in Aomori, Japan!
Check out the only place you can enjoy the buttery, creamy taste of ramen. Yes, butter! Butter is not something one usually associates with a bowl of ramen, but there it was! A thick pat of butter perched majestically atop an island of bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, and ramen noodles!
Gaijin Drivin’
Driving in Japan is like driving anywhere else in the world; once you become accustomed to different traffic laws, signs, and a few idiosyncrasies, driving a car is driving a car. I’ve been driving in Misawa for about ten months and there are some things that have caused me to pause, think, and smile.
Howling Over Zevon’s Top Ten!
“Enjoy every sandwich” ~Warren Zevon
Stranger Creek and the Big Yellow School Bus
My family moved to a farm in Northeast Kansas when I was in the 2nd grade. That meant a new school and a new mode of transportation to get to school: a big yellow school bus.
Hello. I’m Johnny Cash…well his Top Ten songs anyway!
Although rock and heavy metal are my genres of choice, variety is the spice of life. My love for music was born out of the many genres I was exposed to growing up in Kansas. Country music was played in my house a lot growing up. So, I’ve listened to Johnny Cash all my life. Cash’s music is the reason I connected with one of my oldest, and dearest friends.
The Bittersweet Tree
I wrote “The Bittersweet Tree” in 1988. It was always a favorite of my Grandmother’s. It was published in the quarterly magazine Sunflower Petals back in 1989. The poetry magazine was published by the Kansas State Poetry Society. I have revised it a few times since that first publication, but it is still pretty true to my original composition. I hope you enjoy my poem.
Cat Balls Ramen!
This Japanese ramen joint will solve your winter cravings for warm Japanese comfort food!
