Last school year, one of my daughter’s first assignments was to create a word cloud. I don’t recall all the details, but she and her classmates were required to write an introductory paragraph or two, with their likes and dislikes and hobbies and such, then enter their submissions into a ...

A few years ago, I was taking a leisurely ride through the country when I encountered, in the middle of nowhere, a road crew. I rolled to a stop next to the flagman, and we chatted as I waited for the lone oncoming vehicle to clear so I could proceed. We talked about my bike, the heat and ...

I distinctly recall the day I became a reviled enemy of an entire family of rodents. It was a crisp winter Sunday in my childhood. It seems I was late in my elementary-school or early in my junior-high years. As my family began to scurry about getting ready to head to church, my mother ...

At some point last winter, I explained to my kids why I was especially fond of a specific pair of gloves. Now, before anybody looks up the number for SRS, rest assured I normally don’t subject them to such cruel and unusual punishment. The details have faded a bit, but I’m sure it was a ...

A funny thing happened last week during a routine ride home from racquetball: A guy tried to kill me. OK, maybe that’s a bit melodramatic. But not much. As I approached a four-way stop-sign-controlled intersection about a mile from my house, I noticed a car approaching from my left. I ...

I rode to work the other day — Saturday, to be exact — in a bit of a breeze. My beloved Weather Channel said it was a 20-mph blow; in other words, nothing special by Kansas standards. As I strolled by one of the many TVs in the office, I was surprised to see there was a tornado watch ...