By Every good parent knows that raising respectable, upstanding children requires love, integrity and the periodic dose of deceit. Marketing, peer comparisons and shiny, new things influence kids, just as they do adults. This is extraordinarily evident during this period that retailers like to call Back to School. To hear J.C.
The Fine Art of Tailgating
The ball crosses into the End Zone. High fives and cheers surround you. Someone picks you up and raises you over the crowd. A cooler full of Gatorade pours down over your head. Wait a minute. That’s not Gatorade. You didn’t score the winning touchdown. You’re in the parking lot
True confessions: we’ve neglected our gear, too
The smell was ungodly. Every time I cracked open my dry bag, the stench brought tears of disgust and pain to my eyes. At first, the smell just made me feel a little dirty – nothing over the top. It wasn’t until Day 13 of a 16-day mid-August Grand Canyon
Seattle Craigslist Missed Connections: M4W at 3-Step Gear Rehab Support Group* for Gear Abusers and Dirt Hounds
I saw you at a Seattle 3-Step Gear Rehab support group. You were wearing a purple 2-layer jacket, but you called the color eggplant or cabernet or Manchurian sunset or something. Me: I was wearing a pair of jeans with a short-sleeve plaid button up and flip-flops. I was shy.
Top Ten Ways to Enjoy the End of Summer
Hey! Back to School shopping: we’re talking to you. You represent the end of the dog days more than Labor Day, more than the equinox and even more than the plummeting mercury in our thermometers. We may be excited for the kids to expand their minds and unleash their daily
The trip of a lifetime
I married a fly fisherman, despite having no interest in fly-fishing. I even managed to avoid the sport despite spending the last 18 years on a river in Colorado and working as a professional raft guide. For 40-some years on the planet, I maintained a sterling 0-for-0 record in the
Five Tips for the Best Road Trip Ever
Three-year olds know the ultimate secret to a successful road trip. Pull over, get out of the car and play at least once every three hours. This was a valuable lesson learned from an actual preschooler… under the duress of a marathon drive, I might add. Beyond slowing down to
