At my age, you’d think I’d be smarter in a lot of ways. After all, years represent experience and experience should convert to wisdom. It hasn’t worked that way for me in all matters. I keep thinking people will automatically think the same way I do – that they will see and …
I’ve been spending too much time at the Riesen House Saloon in Gold Hill. It’s a drinking spot for out-of-luck miners and a few political hacks who come up from Carson City. One of those guys is Orion, who wears fancy boots and an oversized cowboy hat and claims he’s the big …
Running a successful company for 33 years required a bunch of stuff coming together. When strangers ask me how it happened, I smile and give a vague and easy answer: “Good luck and great employees.” That’s an okay answer if I just want to move on quickly to catch a plane …
My dear mother, Irene, thought it would be a great idea to give me a confirmation name. She chose Francis after the famous Saint Francis of Assisi, the guy who is always pictured feeding birds by hand while squirrels play around his feet. I was 14 when my friends started …
Why did I hang out for two hours yesterday in the parking lot of Save Mart grocery store in Carson City? The drama started weeks ago when I wrote a draft of a blog post claiming I had completed an academic study of shoppers’ behaviors with respect to what they do with their …
The Change Companies® has completed a much-needed film and audio studio to provide support for our national publishing company. Our brilliant team asked if I might be an early guinea pig by talking about the history of The Change Companies® dating back to 1989. I’m a team …
It’s been over two months now since Washoe Valley has had a smoke-free day. The California fires and an easterly wind have caused air quality to be in the danger zone most days. Quite often, the dense smoke does not allow me to see the mountain ranges – or even my neighbor’s …
I answer my cell phone. “Hey Don, it’s Merritt.” I know immediately I’m in for some news – good or not so good. As my friend and physician, Merritt always provides the good stuff first, like saying my blood tests were “better than he anticipated.” (What does …
It makes sense that we should feel less anxious as we age. By age 70 or so, we’ve been through the wringer. Most nasty stuff already happened to us. Of course, all of you are wise individuals, so you’ve learned from your mistakes and moved bravely forward, getting …
I was forced to move to an old budgeting trick for tracking my new diet. Now I feel more successful, more in control. I’ve successfully applied the same methodology the federal government uses to account for its spending. I proudly announce I’ve met my weight goal of …
