IT WAS OUR FIRST ROAD TRIP since the pandemic, an eight-hour drive from Southern California to the Sacramento area. On the way north, we took I-5 (also known as "The Five" in Southern California parlance). The I-5 can take you from Mexico to Canada (and I've driven the full extent, though not in one trip). …
The 15-minute project that took a week
It should have been easy. Two screws and five color-coded wires. At least, that's what I thought on Monday when I decided, just before breakfast, to upgrade the old thermostat for one of those new fancy "smart" devices. You know, the kind of gizmo that displays a beautiful HD screen, which, of course, you don't …
Wait a Minute: What Did I Do Right?
I have a confession to make: I don't follow recipes. Oh, I read them thoroughly. I analyze them. And I usually think to myself: "That sounds delicious!" Then I more or less ignore the recipes and go about improvising. Maybe it's because I am so fond of jazz. Also, I'm not what you might call …
In search of the most beautiful beach in the world
“Which way do we go?” The inevitable question faces us while staring at a fork in the road. We are on bikes on the tiny island of La Digue, one and one-half hours ride via catamaran from Mahé, the main island in the Seychelles islands. We are on bikes because the island, all of 5 …
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Taking time to unwind
One of the disadvantages of working from home is that you are never far enough away from your work to not work. It's always there, right in front of you. So, after about a month of toiling every day, we decided to put the brakes on and break away from it all. We can see …
A Different Kind of Birthday
Things were not going according to plan. Three of our party of six were down for the count. The three happened to be the male members of the group. They were suffering from a food-borne illness easily traceable to fish tacos the night before. The women in the party (where did that term "fairer sex" …
Brotherly love
I had to make a decision involving one of the most basic of human needs: use the bathroom now or chance a long ride? We -- my siblings and our respective spouses -- were on the upper northwest side of the island of Oahu, about to make our return to our vacation rental, a fair …
Best of the Mind-Boggling Bathrooms
Bathroom designs that will leave you with more questions than answers, but will certainly make you laugh.
99 Miles From L.A.
If this title does not evoke a melody in your head, well, then thank your lucky stars you missed the schmaltzy tunes of the '70s. The only thing worse than Art Garfunkel chirping away at this song is having it on auto-replay in your brain as you are crawling through the megalopolis of greater Los …
Sherry & George 