11/9/2020 “That Got Me To Thinkin’…?” Chapter 22 “A Tough Talk” By Bruce Williams Recently, faced suddenly with the tragedy of a suicide in our family, I was stationed outside my daughter’s hair appointment waiting for her to finish—replacing my distraught wife who had just found out that she’d lost her older brother in such…

11/2/2020 “That Got Me To Thinkin’…?” Chapter 21 “Married Dates” By Bruce Williams When you have two kids and a dog, there’s not a lot of opportunities to get away with your significant other for an adult vacation…you know—without a Nickelodeon-themed anything or cheese pizzas for every meal, let alone a date if you don’t…

10/19/2020 “That Got Me To Thinkin’…?” Chapter 19 “Dog Communication” By Bruce Williams Every pet owner has wished at one point or another that they could speak with their pet in some meaningful way. My wife and I were pondering what it would be like to live a languageless life like our dog Ruby, but…

10/12/2020 “That Got Me To Thinkin’…?” Chapter 18 “Tchotchke-free Zones” By Bruce Williams As my wife puts out the Halloween decorations, I chuckle when she hovers around my chair trying to gently place a small faux pumpkin on the adjoining bookshelf.  “No…just no,” I intone without looking up, as I curmudgeonly shake my head and…

10/5/2020 “That Got Me To Thinkin’…?” Chapter 17 “On Mullets” By Bruce Williams Perhaps the greatest haircut of the 20th Century was the mullet.  Since I’ve mentioned this particular hairstyle in several previous columns, I thought it only fair to give it its own platform and due homage.  Popularized in the late 70’s and embraced…

9/28/2020 “That Got Me To Thinkin’…?” Chapter 16 “In Defense of My 3 Evictions” By Bruce Williams You may not know this, but in my 20’s I was a bit of a drinker.  Seventeen years sober now, I’m able to look back at some of the inebriated inanities caused by my misuse of that old,…

9/21/2020 “That Got Me To Thinkin’…?” Chapter 15 “The Phone Call” By Bruce Williams I was at work when I got the phone call—my Dad’s wife was calling me in hysterics, barely recognizable through her rhythmic wailing and thick Korean accent.  I paused her briefly to transfer the call to our back room for privacy,…

9/14/2020 “That Got Me To Thinkin’…?” Chapter 14 “Door-To-Door” Seattle Times By Bruce Williams I came to Seattle from Olympia (to attend UW) in 1985 after graduating from high school.  Within a week I had a job selling subscriptions for the iconic local newspaper.  I went to work for Bob, the chain-smoking (Belair menthols) Sales…

9/7/2020 9/7/20 “That Got Me To Thinkin’…?” Chapter 13 “The Geezer Guide to Social Media” By Bruce Williams Raising a teen and a ‘tween and trying to keep up with the times can be a little daunting these days.  During the stay-at-home directive, they have become increasingly dedicated to their phones, iPads and the Xbox,…