Opinion

Let’s explore the origin of some common sayings. After writing several columns about sayings like, “Not my cup of tea” and “The straw that broke the camel’s back,” many of you suggested a few others. How many times have you threatened to read someone “The Riot Act?” What is that act, and why is there a riot involved? I’m pretty sure I “read the riot act” to my sons when they were teenagers, and I’m equally certain they rolled their eyes when I did.

The sun barely peeked out from behind the horizon as it reflectively glistened off the still dew-covered grass at the town community center.

I was a morning radio host before I got into TV news. In that role, I was encouraged to inject a little humor into the lives of listeners battling rushhour traffic. During that era, we had a Democratic president, followed by a Republican president. Our area governors, senators and representatives came from both major parties. I was an equal opportunity jokester. Thankfully, my listeners had a good sense of humor, advertisers never complained, and neither my bosses nor the politicians ever tried to censor me. It was, as we hear so often, a different era.

Spring has sprung!

You know what they say: “Deaths always happen in threes.” So it was, recently with three of my longtime audiovideo pals. I said goodbye to my compact disc recorder, my DVD recorder, and my cassette player. Cause of death? A combination of outdated parts, and dirty, scratched heads. Sure, I could send them off to some mysterious repair service to be patched and cleaned, but at what cost? As every customer service rep is trained to say, occasionally in English, “It would be cheaper to just buy a new one. And I have a deal for you!”

Rain was falling on a chilly weekday morning as I slowed towards the intersection to adhere to our local laws regarding red lights. A hearty yawn emerged from within. My eyes were a little sleepy still and the sun had yet to make an appearance for the day.

My life was incredibly blessed by the ability to meet and get to know five of my great grandparents.