My steel-toe summer
The other day, I noticed someone wearing steel-toe boots. Such formidable footwear signifies one thing in my mind: hard, physical work. Manual labor has been a foreign concept to me,…
Read MoreArticles by Scott Saalman
Attic treasure allows him to take a trip & never leave the armchair
Editor’s note: This story by Scott Saalman recently appeared in Next Avenue, a non-profit journalism website produced by Twin Cities PBS. I recently listened to an NPR news story about how National…
Remembering John Prine
Note: Next month will mark the fourth anniversary of the death of one of our greatest singer-songwriters, John Prine, who succumbed to COVID-19. Prine, along with Jimmy Buffett and Gordon…
How I Broke This, Ep. 5: Johnny “Hiccups” Strombolini
PODCAST INTRODUCTION: Ineptitude … Failure … Inanity … Stupidity … MURDER! … MURDER!! … MURDER!!! This is How I Broke This. SFX | CARTOONISH BROKEN SPRING: Boing. GUY: I’m Guy Razz,…
No Joker about it: recalling Steve Miller guitar pick has him feeling old
In 2013, I caught my first guitar pick. Rock ’n’ roll god Steve Miller tossed it from stage after his signature song, “The Joker.” You know: “I’m a joker, I’m…
Going mano a mano with a Cubano
The year ended with a near-miss cooking catastrophe. Fortunately, the Cubanos turned out fine, but there was a trio of little fires – figuratively speaking – to contend with during…
No life for a dog
It is said “all dogs go to Heaven.” In the case of Skooder, our family pet many years ago, this saying had likely been put to the test. Those encountering…
What happens in Vegas … write about it
…anyway it was 2012 and I was eating an $18 enchilada covered with green sauce – the enchilada was covered, not me – in the MGM Grand when the bartender…
“The Sopranos” turns 25: whaddya gonna do?
In 2019 re-watched The Sopranos. All 86 episodes. My biggest binge. Just like last decade when it aired, I couldn’t get enough Tony Soprano. I knew I was in way…
How to create a Scrabble monster
Just like Dr. Victor Frankenstein, I created a monster, though I call mine “Scrabblestein.” I’m talking about my dad. In 2011, I introduced Dad to Scrabble, my splendid addiction. It…