I went to Target on Tuesday to get a refund for an ink cartridge for my Epson printer.  It was defective.  For some strange reason, when I installed the cartridge, the printer refused to recognize it.  They should send I.D. with them.  I tried several fixes, such as shaking the cartridge, and re-installing it.  It didn’t work.  I quickly went out and bought another, with the intent of returning the defective cartridge another day.  Tuesday was that day. So I marched into the Target and walked up to the customer service counter and when the clerk asked if she could help me, I responded,...

It was Memorial Day Weekend when I signed up for those four free Karate Lessons that led to my return to the world of Martial Arts.  I began practicing the Hung Gar style of kung fu back in 1984.  Over the next 17 years, I went from novice to instructor.  And then, I hurt my foot.  And for seven years, I was unable to practice kung fu.  So I put my attention to other pursuits, like music and writing. But then I got fat—very, very fat.  Imagine as fat as you can imagine.  I was fatter than that.  So I went on a diet.  I used the Weightwatchers plan.  It works.  I can say nothing but...

I have to say that as a teacher, it is from time to time really frustrating when your students don’t get it. I mean, you go over something and you explain everything, and you try to make things clear, and most of the students get it, but there’s always some who just don’t get it. So you try to explain things yet another way. You draw pictures. You do whatever you have to do, and sometimes you just exhaust your mind, and they still don’t get it. This is particularly true when you try to teach ten-year-olds about fractions and how to add them. Kids have a hard time with the...

Two thieves break into an apartment in a high rise apartment building.  One thief quickly goes to the buffet and begins to fill his sack with the good silver.  The other thief went quietly into the bedroom and, finding the jewelry box, began to fill his sack with expensive treasures.  Suddenly, they hear a knock on the door, followed by a shout, “Open up!  Police!” The one thief says, “Quick…the cops…jump out the window!” “But we’re on the thirteenth floor!” says the other. “You idiot!  This is no time to be superstitious!” Now, I have to tell you the truth.  This never...

The little red light on my phone is blinking.  This is because, somehow, when we set up a bundle program with Verizon, they gave me voice mail.  What they didn’t do was tell me how to retrieve my voice mail, so the little red light on my phone blinks.  If I wanted to go to the trouble, I could call Verizon, spend an hour or so on hold (on and off) and find out how to retrieve it.  But most of our messages manage to make it through to the answer machine, so I don’t worry about it much.  Still, the little red light is nagging me.  It will keep nagging me until I retrieve my messages. Now...

I went back into my kung fu club today for a regular class for the first time in years.  I’ve been working out there again with one of my old kung fu pals from way back for the past few weeks, trying to get back some of what I used to know so well.  But today was the first time I went back to a regular class, back with a bunch of guys I’ve never met before. I had been a little nervous about going back.  I wondered what those new students would think about me.  Who’s this new guy, they’d wonder, the guy with the black tips on his belt.  Where’d he come from?  And then I’d worry...