Monthly Archives: December 2014

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog. Here’s an excerpt: A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 3,300 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 55 trips to carry that many people. Click here to see theContinue reading “2014 in review”

I wrote this in the late 1990s and still love it. The characters formed the basis for my unpublished novel. It appeared in Lighthouse Digest magazine around 1997 and in the Michigan Authors Syndicate’s newly-published anthology Bald Eagle Stew. It’s a fun little story about a family at Christmas and a father’s odd way ofContinue reading “Just in time for Christmas – A Christmas story”

I got that way when my friend and co-writer Malcolm Magee included me among the members of the Michigan Authors Syndicate who contributed to the newly anthology, Bald Eagle Stew. My contributions include a piece about a job seeker who takes solace in The Most Useful Word in the World, a lighthouse keeper and hisContinue reading “I’m an honorary Michigander”

Had a fantastic time selling my books Saturday afternoon at the STL-Style T-Shirt shop. Owners Jeff and Randy Vines are great people. I also enjoyed my time signing books earlier Saturday at Vintage Bazaar at 5520 Virginia Avenue. City employees or people at City Hall can buy a last-minute signed Christmas gift from me TuesdayContinue reading

This has been an awesome day of selling and signing my books at City Hall. I broke all expectations for book sales. The awesomer conclusion will be when I deliver eight copies of Beer, Brats, and Baseball: St. Louis Germans and one copy of Hoosiers and Scrubby Dutch: St. Louis’s South Side tonight wearing aContinue reading “Wow. I mean, wow!”

I’m having fun selling and signing my books today in the City Hall Rotunda. Catherine Smentkowski, my big source at City Hall, took these pictures. The three books I’m holding in one picture are my three books (of course!) The one book I’m holding in the other picture is Kevin Killeen’s classic about life inContinue reading “Selling and signing at selling and signing at City Hall”

A year ago today I woke up to the news that my dear friend Jim Rygelski no longer was with us. Since then, there have been many times I’ve missed his advice, friendship and the banter in the many breakfasts we shared. I’m not sure how the Cardinals got through this season without him, orContinue reading “A year without Jim Rygelski”

Got an order for eight copies of Beer, Brats, and Baseball: St. Louis Germans, and one copy of The Making of an Icon: The Dreamers, the Schemers, and the Hard Hats Who Built the Gateway Arch. Since they’re close by, I thought I’d deliver it myself, in lederhosen. You too can get your autographed copiesContinue reading “Santa Kraut is coming”

When you’re out and about Friday and Saturday, you’ll have lots of chances to buy an autographed copy of my books. First, you’ll find me in the rotunda of the St. Louis City Hall all day Friday. Then from 11 a.m.-1 p.m on Saturday, I’ll be at Vintage Bazaar, 5520, Virginia Ave. From 1:30 toContinue reading “Lots of ways to get a book”

If you’re out and about Friday, stop by St. Louis City Hall. I’ll be selling my books on the first floor rotunda.