LFS: The Storyteller

©2013 by LeeZard Everyone thinks their pet is the cutest, the smartest, the funniest, etc. And, everyone is right, of course. To quote Rod Serling, I submit for your consideration Tex the Texas Bobtailed Cat. Both of my faithful readers will remember that Tex adopted me several years ago at a cowboy wedding near Cleburne, TX. He is indeed a bobtail, a breed called “Pixy Bob.” I’m not very pixy oriented so I call him the Texas Bobtailed Cat. My research told me they are boisterous – Tex does have a lot to say – and very athletic. One website calls them “the sports car of cats.” All of about 10-11 pounds, Tex’s hind legs are slightly longer then his forelegs with very muscular thighs (do they call ‘em that on cats?). He’s amazingly quick and jumps like a kangaroo. His build also gives him this jaunty little walk that absolutely fits his personality. He sashays around with "cattitude ;"  he knows how cool he is. Like any pet (or human for that matter) Tex ...

©2013 by LeeZard “So, what DOES pepper spray smell like?” It was a timely query because I was running through heavy clouds of the stuff in downtown Seattle, fighting to clear my eyes, nose and head while glued to my cell phone, airing a live radio report. “I’m not sure I can describe it, Dave. I’ve never smelled anything like it before. I can only tell you that it stings and burns like acid. I do know, though, I will never forget what it smells like; I feel like it is filtering through my clothes and soaking through my skin.” It was the end of November 1999, mid-afternoon on the first day of what was supposed to be Seattle’s “coming out” as a world city. We were hosting thousands of international delegates to the World Trade Organization (WTO) -- a summit to set the agenda for international commerce. We also were hosting thousands more anti-WTO protesters — labor, environmental, political and ethnic groups from all over the world. Months of anticipation and pl...

©2013 by LeeZard NOTE: I’ve written before about growing up in Laurelton, NY ( http://leezardonlife.blogspot.com/2008/12/corner.html ) but the piece was about a specific spot in Laurelton and the high school to which we all went. This story is about one man, a small almost anonymous man, and the large impact he had on us all. --- Sometimes the mind wanders. Recently mine was wandering down memory lane, back to the section of South Queens in New York City where I grew up. My mind takes me there often. It’s called Laurelton and to those who grew up there it was a magical place. I can’t tell you why but I do know that many of the friendships born there endure to this day. Located in the southeast corner of Queens, Laurelton was, and still is, a working middle-class area with mostly small well-kept single-family homes and a strong sense of community. Maybe that was the source of the magic; we were closely knit and we all cared about the place and its people. Whenever I ...

©2013 by LeeZard Pet peeves - we all have ‘em. I’ll show you mine if you’ll show me yours. There are the obvious ones:      Bigotry      Hate      Ignorance &; stupidity      Abuse of any kind      War      Bullies But what about those little quirks in other people that drive you mad, like instant friends, for example?  I was on jury duty a few weeks ago (Yes, I’m one of those who see it as an important part of our democracy). The minute I sat down in the meeting room this guy sitting next to me starts to chat me up. I’m not one for idle chitchat, especially with complete strangers but this guy really wanted to be my friend. Despite my obvious attempts to ignore him, he was determined. “Is this your first time on jury duty?” Silence. “I’ve done this many times; I can help you.” Silence. “What are you reading?” Silence. “I hope we get picked for the sa...