These Times

Random thoughts for an almost September day

Kirk Ericson | Aug 31, 20230

I have a friend who grew up rich, but through hard work, grit and some lucky breaks, she overcame it.

When people were losing their senses of taste and smell during the worst of COVID, did their senses of hearing and sight improve?

At weddings in Olympia, if the guests wear Birkenstocks, they make a point of wearing their best pair.

I’m reluctant to get into the whole Jan. 6 insurrection thing here, but I do believe that flag poles should not be used to pummel someone.

There’s a mental switch you must turn before you can start removing clutter from your home. It starts with seeing your “stuff” as “junk” it’s far easier to get rid of your junk than it is to get rid of your stuff.

I recently saw a young woman and man who appeared to be on a first date because both were equally and keenly attentive to what the other person was saying. Both were wearing sleeveless shirts and shorts, and each had many exposed tattoos. They looked like they just stepped out of an advertisement for a dating site for people who like tattoos.

Take a moment to note the moment.

I have a friend who suffers from ISDCAS — I Seriously Don’t Care Anymore Syndrome.

Mrs. Ericson contracted COVID last week and my son asked me what the chances are that we have it. “It’s either 0% or 100%,” I replied.

A friend of one of our sons came to the house the other day wearing a brace on her knee. She said she had a “lateral collateral” ligament strain, then repeated “lateral collateral” several times. It’s refreshing to witness someone trying to enjoy their injury.

Sales of sleeveless shirts have likely increased since tattoos became popular.

A friend of ours was out walking in the neighborhood recently with a couple who had a pair of kids with them. I introduced myself to the man, who responded, a bit testily and with a smile, “We’ve probably met five times already. We met yesterday, in fact, at the barbershop. We talked.” I apologized, claiming I’m bad at recalling faces – which was a lie. Then he said, “I must have a forgettable face.” “No,” I lied again, “it’s me.” The more I thought about it, maybe the guy does have a forgettable face. And maybe the guy knows he has a forgettable face.

You know there are people who go to church only because it’s good for their business.

If you’re ever interested in starting a conversation with a stranger by asking questions that contain the word “shot,” here are a few suggestions: Have you ever had a Jell-O shot? Have you ever been shot? Have you ever thrown a shot in track and field? Have your nerves ever been shot? Have you ever shot drugs into your arm? Have you ever given something your best shot?

Every skid mark that trails off the side of a highway has an intense story to tell.

We have about 10 seconds in our home to grab a newspaper to put in front of our cat when he starts his pre-retching windup. About three months ago, he started his windup, and I snatched the front section of the newspaper. As I hustled over toward the cat, I spotted an article I wanted to read. I immediately grabbed the comics section because I had already read “Doonesbury.” I had no time to spare before Kuban horked onto the Sunday comics laid before him. This would be an example of the sort of skills that don’t show up on a person’s LinkedIn profile.