Don’t forget to Shop Local this holiday season

Shopping for the perfect gift is hard work. Technology has made it easier, but before you go and do all your Christmas shopping with a few clicks of a mouse, don’t forget to visit your local stores.I know what you are thinking:“But Rick.

Can we move on from our political battles?

Well, we made it.Election Day has come and gone. Maybe we can all move on now.Probably not. As we wake up today, all the votes that are going to be cast have been cast. The polls are closed, and the counting has begun.And now we wait. Don’t get me wrong.

Timmy is stuck with a life without superpowers

I was not ready for this conversation with my son.I was getting Timmy out of his car seat last week when he stopped me in my tracks. He grabbed my face with his two little hands and said something I was not expecting.“Dad, I don’t have any super powers.”He was dead serious.

Can we still find common ground?

Lately, I have been watching videos online where the producers bring two groups with opposing views together and they discuss various topics to see where the two sides can find common ground.Sometimes the two sides are Republicans and Democrats. Other times it is Christians and Atheists.

Social media jail . . . Verizon outage . . . a new month

I woke up Monday in social media jail.Apparently, I did something to warrant my X (formerly Twitter) account being suspended. The email I received in the wee hours of the morning told me that I violated the X Rules, specifically violated the rules against evading suspension.

A soft sound broke the silence at the softball field

It was the thing you read about, but don’t expect to see live.Saturday morning, I hopped in the car and headed over to Columbus to watch a little high school softball. Twin River was starting their day early, facing off with Boone Central in the morning matchup.

A messy desk must mean something

It’s a weekly battle that I keep losing.My desk is a mess.I try to clean it up every Wednesday after we get the newspaper out, but I swear by Thursday morning my notes and papers and pens are all scattered about again.

Crazy dreams more believable than world we live in

I have always had crazy dreams.Maybe it is just me, but I learned a long time ago that sometimes when I am asleep I can take control of my dreams. Not every night, but sometimes when I am asleep I figure out in the dream that I am in the dream world.I’ve had dreams that come true.

Vice President Harris can’t have it both ways

Well, the Democratic National Convention is in the rearview mirror. Chicago is still standing, though I think some of the protesters are still there.Vice President Kamala Harris is officially the nominee, though I do not know where she stands on many of the issues that are affecting our nation.

Forget football . . . budget season is upon us

I have a confession to make. I actually read the public notices that are published in newspapers.I know what you are probably thinking. Why in the world would someone read public notices in a newspaper?Because I can. But the thing is, you can too. And you should.