Nuns and Baseball
The back to school season reminds me of a number of teachers that were influential in my life. Over the next few months I plan on telling stories about several of them. If you’d like to tell a story about a teacher that was a notable influence in your life please contact me. If you’re […]
A Bit of Attitude
Winning often requires more than just skill and practice–it sometimes comes down to a bit of attitude; some swagger to back up hard work and preparation. A good example is the turnaround of the football team of my undergrad alma mater, the Washington Huskies. In 2009 after an 0 and 12 and excruciatingly-painful-to-watch-from-our-seats-in-the-stands-season, Washington hired […]
The Rocket and the Jet
When the space shuttle Atlantis landed in July it marked the end of an era in space flight. As a kid I followed the space program with deep fascination and this milestone was sad. This last mission of the shuttle program also reminded me of two stories that connected me loosely to the space program. [youtube […]
A Little Respect, Please
Jim Riggleman quit his dream job because he was “disrespected.” Riggleman was the manager of the Washington Nationals baseball franchise. He took the last place Nationals from division cellar dwellers to contenders. Just after winning 11 of 12 games (including a sweep of my Seattle Mariners) he resigned. For the last two years he’s been […]
A Little Faith
Lorenzo Romar is known as a man of faith in many realms—but there was a time on the cusp of his career when it appeared that his faith was ill founded. Romar is the coach of the University of Washington men’s basketball team. This season his team started off ranked first in the conference but […]
The Clever Railroad Engineer
Long before the days of cell phones a clever railroad engineer in my hometown of Auburn, Washington, devised a method to signal his wife that he was almost home. When his train had passed the old Neely Mansion heading west on the Northern Pacific line he blasted two toots on the engine horn. His home […]
The Forgotten Sailors: A Veterans Day Story
On a narrow canal in a Midwestern city lies a memorial to men who fought for our freedom, and then their own survival, on a wide ocean. Last September while attending a writers conference in that city I opted to skip breakfast and take a run, so that I could process some advice I’d received […]
Romance in the Ring Tone
You can tell a lot about a person from their ring tone. My default ring tone “Who Let the Dogs Out” by the Baha Men is an indicator of my University of Washington Husky roots. But after our recent thrashings on the gridiron I might want to change it to, “Please Release Me (from my […]
Your Idea—It Doesn’t Stink—Too Much
Today I’d like to enlist you in my personal crusade to eradicate an annoying phrase from the American lexicon. Have you ever suggested an idea to someone only to have them give you the lukewarm response, “That’s not a bad idea.” “That’s not a bad idea?” What do they mean? That your idea doesn’t exactly […]
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