TALES FROM HAPPY HOUR

  • A few years ago, at the onset of the Pandemic, like many others I was stuck at home for extended periods of time - and it was boring.

    To relieve the boredom, I started posting stories on Facebook.

    At first, the stories were mostly about the Pandemic and how we were managing to cope.

    It was something to do for the two weeks it was all going to last.

    Well, it ended up lasting a bit longer than two weeks, so I kept posting stories.

    The new stories were based on different subjects - my dogs, travel, birthday wishes to my Mom and stupid stuff I did growing up.

    One thing most of the stories had in common was that they were the same stories I used to tell my friends at Happy Hour over a few beers.

    Since I could not do that in person any more I decided to do it online.

    I was pleasantly surprised at the reception and positive feedback I received after posting the stories.

    Some friends even suggested I consider writing a book - and believe it or not I am actually working on one - It's an alternative history novel, though it's still a work in progress

    In the meantime, for those who may have missed some of my stories or just want to revisit them, I've created this page called 'Tales From Happy Hour' with links to many of my posts.

    Thanks for reading.

    PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:

    • I had a stroke in December 2022, this is how it happened (December 15, 2023) - link

    • How many ways can you measure 12,234 days? (March 1, 2024) - link

    • I had a friend whose name was Sunday Lewis (October 11, 2023) - link

    • Ode to a Fire Pit (March 24, 2022) - link

    • A Loosely Connected Series of Random Events (September 21, 2024) - link

    • Two Years Ago My Life took an Unexpected Turn (December 14, 2024) - link

    • I am happy to announce that forty-one years later - I still got it... - link

    • Ten Things I Remember People Saying to Me While Growing Up (May 18, 2025) - link

    TRIBUTES:

    • Tribute to my brother Mike (June 10, 2025) - link

    • Tribute to my friend and business partner Tom Kiernan (March 7, 2023) - link

    • Tribute to my high school track coach Phil Welker (October 15, 2022) - link

    • Tribute to Egon (Ed) E. Friedman friend and WW II vet, Patton's Roommate (September 16, 2021) - link

    • A LIFE WELL LIVED - Tribute to my Mother-in-law Corinne Mayer Renninger (January 27, 2021) - link

    • "I'm Still Here you Sonsabitches." (January 17, 2025) - link

    • Veteran's Day 2024 (November 11, 2024) - link

    • Tribute to my Uncle Mickey - link

    • Not every Memorial is Carved in Stone... (May 29, 2025) - link

    • The Promotion I Never Wanted (December 13, 2025) - link

    • Tribute to my Dad (January 23, 2026) - link

    • Tribute to O'Faolain's Pub (June 4, 2025) - link

    PANDEMIC STORIES:

    • Quarantine, Day 46 Operation Carp Diem... (May 2, 2020) - link

    • Quarantine, Day 60 A Good Walk Spoiled... (May 18, 2020) - link

    • Reflections on 2020 and the Pandemic (Video) (December 12, 2020) - link

    STORIES ABOUT MY DOGS:

    • A Dog's Love is Forever (December 13, 2022) - link

    • Laika saves my Mom's life (December 26, 2021) - link

    • Laika Gives a Patient a Hug and Melts Hearts (May 23, 2024) - link

    • LuLu's First Visit to Memory Care and a Big Surprise (October 9, 2024) - link

    • LuLu and I Meet Someone Special During our Visit with Memory Care Residents (December 6, 2024) - link

    • Laika's Back Story (March 8, 2025) - link

    • LuLu's Back Story (May 23, 2025) - link

    • Look Cute and Get Treats (February 6, 2026) - link

    • Thanksgiving at Memory Care (November 22, 2025) - link

    GROWING UP:

    • Growing up in Rio de Janeiro and the kidnapping of the US Ambassador (May 4, 2023) - link

    • I was a Dot-Com millionaire (April 27, 2023) - link

    • Paul Revere is dead and gone (May 24, 2023) - link

    • When I was ten years old, I broke my nose (May 11, 2023) - link

    • That time when I drove my car into a creek (July 13, 2023) - link

    • Once Upon a Time in Washington DC I was a Movie Star (April 21, 2023) - link

    • Then there was that night I got "locked in" and lost my passport (February 13, 2025) - link

    • The Time when Someone Stole the Seats from My Car (December 19, 2024) - link

    • Meeting the CIA Polygrapher Again after 42 Years (March 23, 2025) - link

    • Our Franken-tree for Christmas 1963 (December 31, 2026) - link

    • Our Plan To Get RIch Selling Roling Stones Tickets (December 31, 2026) - link

    TRAVEL STORIES:

    • AROUND THE WORLD IN 490 BEERS (August 27, 2020) - link

    • The largest city in Germany that no one has ever heard about (September 29, 2023) - link

    • Bangkok Black Jack Scam (August 4, 2023) - link

    • A Visit and Tour of N/S Savannah in Baltimore, MD (December 27, 2023) - link

    • SS Rotterdam Had a Morgue (February 7, 2025) - link

    STORIES ABOUT MY MOM:

    • A Story About my Mom's Piano (November 16, 2020) - link

    • Tribute to my Mom on her birthday highlighting her work in Hospice Care (June 25, 2020) - link

    • Wishing my Mom a Happy Birthday (June 25, 2022) - link

    • The Day my Mom Got to Spend an Hour with Princess Diana (September 26, 2024) - link

    • The Day my Mom Accidentally Changed her Facebook Language Settings to Chinese (January 22, 2025) - link

    • How my Mom got her wedding dress and spoke to Frank Sinatra (June 25, 2025) - link

    MEETING FAMOUS PEOPLE:

    • I met Olympic Champion Hal Connolly One Day (May 4, 2024) - link

    • Meeting Popes and Presidents in 1963 (January 25, 2024) - link

    • Attending the Coronation of Pope Paul VI (May 8, 2025) - link

    • Meeting LBJ in Rome in 1963 (April 23, 2025) - link

    MISCELLANEOUS STUFF:

    • It was a Dark and Stormy Night... (August 17, 2023) - link

    • Bottle of Commandaria (December 6, 2021) - link

    • Meeting a Music History Savant (April 30, 2025) - link

    • I have a story about a "Wamus" (April 26, 2025) - link

    • Nightmare at the YMCA (April 15, 2025) - link

    • Ode To Gumby (March 14, 2025) - link

    • The Night Buffalo Wings Were Invented (January 16, 2026) - link

    • My Interview on Celtic Crush during our 2025 Ireland Trip (November 5, 2025) - link

    • My Farewell to 2020 Redux (December 28, 2025) - link

    • Duck Wrangling at the Pool (with original song) (July 30, 2026) - link

    • Thirty-five years ago today, I married my best friend (July 6, 2025) - link

    • I commissioned a model of SS Rotterdam (July 5, 2025) - link

    • Saving Spiders from The Pool (June 8, 2025) - link