Monday, April 22, 2019

Happy Trails


All good things must come to an end. At least that’s what I’ve heard. I’m not sure if this blog is a good thing or not but I do know the time has come for it to end.

I recently started a new job and my work schedule is not really conducive to continuing my blogging habit. So, after nearly eight years (seven years and seven months to be exact) of writing a weekly blog, I have decided to wrap it up. Not completely, however. I’ll still post a story occasionally. But the weekly post will be no more.

In some ways, it’ll be a relief to not spend each Sunday night typing away on my computer and then posting the result of my brainstorming online. But in some ways I’ll miss it I think. It’s been fun and rewarding to take memory trips from my childhood and share them with the readers, to tell about some current happening that I found amusing, or describe the inspiring antics of my grandchildren.

My wife will probably suffer the most from this decision. I like to tell stories but instead of having this outlet, I’ll more than likely be rambling on and on to her about everything. Then again, maybe it won’t affect her at all, I think she usually ignores me anyway. Which is okay. It’s not like what I’m saying is important or useful.

Anyway, thanks everyone for reading and indulging my sometimes odd sense of humor for these past few years. Until we meet again... ~


Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, The Lana Denae Mysteries, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million.

Sunday, April 14, 2019

Don't Move!


Here’s some helpful advice if you plan on moving — don’t. I know, that’s never really an option. And even if it were, most people who are planning to move are not concerned with anything other than wanting to move. But, fair warning, it’s a lot of work.

I’m not talking about the actual moving of the furniture and other possessions from one house to another. That’s a little work but  it’s not the half of it. The work isn’t even in the packing of everything; it’s putting it all away in the new place.

First, you don’t know where anything is going to go and then when that is finally determined, multiple boxes and other items have to be moved seventeen times to get things situated. Not to mention the unpacking and sorting, and then the disposal of all the boxes and packing material. Then there is the cleaning of the old house, the new house (numerous times) and dealing with all the broken or damaged things. And the list goes on and on.

It sounds like I’m getting ready to tell you that I moved recently, but that’s not the case. I did, however, help my parents move this past weekend. It went very well, as far as getting everything to the new house. We had lots of help and got it done in a single day. Then, we all left, leaving my Mom and Dad to do the real work of arranging their new house, opening fifty or sixty boxes and finding a place for the contents, hanging pictures and mirrors, cleaning, and all the rest.

We tried to sort things a little before we left but my Mom’s kitchen was pretty jumbled, as was my Dad’s study. In fact, I don’t think there was a single room that had much semblance of order. I’m thinking it’ll take them a month or better to get things sorted out.

Moving takes a LOT of work.

And I should know. Having lived in over thirty houses in my 52 years, and being involved in countless efforts to move other people, I have an extensive experience in moving. I guess you could say I’m an expert — of sorts. So, while my wife and I would like to move out of town someday, my good sense and expertise says (as I advised above) don’t do it. But we all know how well people take advice. ~


Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, The Lana Denae Mysteries, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million.

Sunday, April 7, 2019

Ill wind


Recently, my wife and I decided we would replace some more of the flooring in our house. About a year and a half ago, we took out the carpet and put in vinyl floors — except for the bedrooms. Now, we’re updating the master bedroom to match.

I started the project last week, tore out the carpet and pad, pulled staples, and did some other prep work. Then, I got sick. Well, actually, I was sick when I started but chose to ignore it, hoping it would go away. It didn’t.

So, my plans to get it all done in a few days didn’t quite pan out. I am getting over the sickness — but not fast enough. And now, due to other obligations, it’ll be a couple of weeks before I can get to back to the floor. In the meantime, we have a nice sub-floor to look at and walk on. The dogs are not impressed. Neither is my wife.

I’m hoping all will be forgiven when the new floor is done. I’m just not exactly sure when that will be. I told my wife I’d probably have it done within the next year or so. She didn’t really SAY anything in response to that but the look she gave me said I might want to work on getting it done just a little bit quicker.

I think I might try that. But I can’t make any promises, ’cause you know, I might get sick again or something. ~


Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, The Lana Denae Mysteries, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million.

Sunday, March 31, 2019

First Of April


Today is National Prank Day, better known as April Fools’ Day. As with many holidays, it remains unclear exactly what the origins are. There are many theories, some of which make sense and others that do not. Regardless of how it all started, the day of practical jokes and pranks has survived for many centuries in many countries around the world.

While I’ve been known to play a few practical jokes from time to time, I’ve never really gotten into the whole April Fools’ Day thing. I think it’s because that’s the day such things are expected. The day when playing pranks is considered normal. I prefer to not be predictable when it comes to jokes or pranks. So, I try to avoid attempting to pull a fast one on anyone on April 1st.

Of course, convincing people that I’m NOT playing a joke on them on April 1st is sometimes a chore. Like one time when I called my wife.

My pickup had broken down and rather than walk the two miles to the auto parts store, I was hoping she would be able to give me a ride. But she didn’t believe me. She kept saying, “Right. April Fools.”

For a moment, I was tempted to just hang up and walk to her job, take her vehicle and return home to fix my pickup. It would have been worth the walk just imagining her getting off work and coming out to find no car!

Eventually, I did convince her that I actually needed a ride. Good thing too, I think —because knowing my luck, she would have reported the car as stolen. That would have been fun when the cops showed up. Or not. Somehow I don’t think shouting “April Fools” would have been all that dissuading to them. ~


Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, The Lana Denae Mysteries, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million.

Monday, March 25, 2019

Scam Alert


Thought I’d share my recent experience with a scam artist. Maybe save someone from losing their hard-earned money.

It started with me answering a Help Wanted ad in the online classifieds. The ad was listed was for a Warehouse Assistant for Wright Textile. Starting salary was $2,800 - $3,300 per month. After some difficulty — the guy had neglected to leave any contact information — I managed to get in touch with the place.

They wanted the standard information, a résumé and cover letter, which I provided. Then there were a few more questions, along with a request for references. After a few emails, they offered me the job.

The guy was a traveling businessman who dealt in art and other antiquities. The story was he would soon be opening a gallery in my area and needed someone to take delivery of the shipments and deliver them to the warehouse. I would also need to correspond with some of the sellers on the guy’s behalf and arrange for payments, keep accurate books for accounts receivable and payable.

It would start as a part time job; 15 hours per week for which I would be paid $500. If all went well, the job would become full time with a substantial pay increase.

This sounded good to me, although, from the start, I sort of had my doubts about it all. As did my son, who said “It’s a scam,” the moment I told him about the job. There was just something, not sure what, said it wasn’t legitimate. One clue was, the guy, whose name was Bryan Wright, seemed to have a little trouble with the English language. That alone wasn’t reason enough to dismiss the job though and I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But the farther along things progressed the more red flags there were. Like his name changing to Bryan Chan in later emails.

After a few more days I began to assume the whole thing was a scam. Still, I was curious and wanted to know what sort of scam he was running, so I played along. And, there always was the slight possibility that everything was on the up and up.

Bryan Chan eventually told me I was hired and that my first paycheck, as well as my first assignment, would be arriving in the mail. I waited for a week, and then another. Nothing came in the mail. About the time I figured the guy had just been wanting my information, I did get a check in the mail. It was a cashier’s check for $1550.30.

I didn’t get too excited. First I looked up the credit union the check had come from and found that it was a real bank. I then took the check to my bank and they did an initial query to see if the funds were available. They were. So, I deposited it.

The next day, I received my “instructions.” I was to take $250 out for myself and send the balance to Motherless Babies Home in Dallas, Texas. Well, sort of. The director of the Motherless Babies Home had requested the money be sent to her accountant in Dallas via a Moneygram. This all sounded odd to me, like money laundering or something. It didn’t make sense that I would be needed for such a transaction. If Mr. Bryan Chan wanted to donate to Motherless Babies Home (which is apparently a legitimate charity) he could have sent the funds directly to them in any number of ways. No need to pay me $250 to do it unless he was wanting to hide the transaction. A Moneygram, of course, would have my name attached. Whether legal or not, whatever he was up to, didn’t sound like something I wanted to be connected with.

I sent off an email, advising Mr. Chan that I was declining the job. I also may have alluded to some discussion with the Sheriff’s Office, which may or may not have happened. And then I asked for his address, you know, in case I needed to send the check back. Strangely, he didn’t want to provide his address. And he kept insisting that I send the funds off immediately. At this point I still didn’t know what the scam was. But I was still curious. The next day, I found out.

Visiting my bank, trying to find information, I was given the details on what the deal likely was.

The cashier’s check that I’d deposited was originally a good check — maybe — but before the transaction could be completed, whoever had written it would write another one with the same numbers and send it through for processing ahead of mine. Which would then make the check they’d sent me return as fraudulent. The idea is that most people would have already cashed the fraudulent check, purchased a Moneygram and sent it off. And, as a result, they would be out the $1300.30.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bryan Chan was getting antsy. He kept sending me emails, demanding to know what the problem was and why I hadn’t done as he’d instructed. Of course, he tried to play to my sympathies by referencing the poor motherless babies who were depending on me.

A couple of days later, the scenario given to me by my bank proved accurate; the check had been returned as fraudulent. I sent one final email, informing Mr. Chan that the “problem” he wondered about was that he’d sent me a fraudulent check. As such, I said I wouldn’t be sending any amount of money to anyone.

Strangely, I haven’t heard from the man since. ~

Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, The Lana Denae Mysteries, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million.

Sunday, March 17, 2019

Winter Is Melting!

So, almost all of the snow is gone from around my house! About time. I’ve lived in this town for 29 winters and I’ve never seen snow on the ground in March. Sure, at times there’s been a little skiff but it was usually gone faster than it came. This year, we’re talking feet of snow.

And it’s been here since early February. That’s a long time to put up with snow when winter should have been long gone. But I’m pretty sure it’s my fault.

See, back in January, I wrote a blog post celebrating the mild winter we were having. And almost immediately, things changed. The unseasonably warm temperatures turned unseasonably cold. The couple of little snow flurries we’d experienced turned to piles of snow.

A month and a half. That’s how long it’s been. It was supposed to be WARM by now. Usually, by mid-March, I’ve already mowed the lawn a couple of times. This year, it’ll be April before the lawn even starts growing.

So, I’ve learned my lesson. No more reveling in the mild winter on my blog — at least for this year. ~

Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, The Lana Denae Mysteries, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million.

Sunday, March 10, 2019

What's The World Coming To?

For a few minutes this past week, I thought the world was going to end. Not because any impending catastrophe was imminent. No, the reason was more innocuous than that.

Here’s what happened: Someone hacked one of my email accounts. Not the main email that I use, so that was good. But they were able to then get into my Facebook pages.

Okay, not exactly the end of the world scenario I started out with but still a little aggravating. I didn’t really lose any sleep or anything but it was just another issue I needed to deal with that I shouldn’t have.

From what I could tell, they didn’t really do much, no off-color posts, no posting of links to some other country, no attempts to scam anyone. I assume they just wanted information, and they probably got that. But, I don’t really post anything on Facebook that’s a big secret so...

As far as the email goes, I have no idea what they did with that. I could’ve sent a ton of spam out, I suppose. Well, not me but my account. so it would appear to come from me. But no one has sent me an angry response, so maybe not.

I think it’s all taken care of now, my Facebook accounts seem to be normal and I once again have control of my email. Now, I get to what to see what else they might do. Yay!

Such is life in the modern world. A few years ago, no one had to worry about being hacked. Now, it’s becoming a regular occurrence. Which is good in a way. If, by chance, people start receiving things that are totally out of character for the person supposedly sending them, it’s a good indication that they’ve been hacked.

Keep that in mind over the next few days. Just in case something untoward shows up, appearing to be from me, you’ll know it’s not. I hope! In any event, it’s not the end of the world! ~

Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, The Lana Denae Mysteries, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million.

Monday, March 4, 2019

Easy Way To Start Investing Now


Investing Made Easy
And Why You Should Start THIS VERY MINUTE!


Imagine saving a few thousand dollars in just a year. All while still earning your current salary... and without getting a part time job. Next, imagine that money growing on its own. Earning you interest every day, as much as 15% or more. All with no effort on your part. And imagine the total of that money being available to you when you need it — to pay for those unexpected expenses: car repairs... doctor visits... a new vacuum... replacing a neighbor’s window... or perhaps your own window.

Or, you might use the money to take a nice, well-deserved vacation... A relaxing week in Hawaii... A Caribbean cruise... a weekend trip to Las Vegas...

Maybe you’ll want to leave the money alone, let it continue to grow until retirement. How much would you be able to accumulate? Probably more than you can imagine. A lot more.

But, I have good news. You don’t just have to imagine any of this. It’s all very possible. That’s the power of investing. The power of using money to make money. And the best time to start is now. Because the earlier you start, the more you can earn.

Think you don’t have enough money to get started? That you should wait until you do? Or that it would make more sense to spend your money on other things? These seem like logical reasons to put off investing. But, let me tell you, it is a flawed logic. Consider the following quote from one of the all-time most successful investors in history:

“Nothing sedates rationality like large doses of effortless money.” - Warren Buffet


But let’s face it, not everyone can be Warren Buffet, investor extraordinaire. First, most people do not have that kind of money. Many Americans live paycheck to paycheck. That simply doesn’t allow for a grand investment portfolio.

Second, most people do not have that kind of time. We’re busy. We work a job... have things to take care of at home... doctor visits...  meetings to attend... appointments to keep... and that leaves very little time to pay attention to things such as investing. But there is a way that even the busiest person with no stash of extra cash laying around can get in on the action. A simple way. A painless way. I’ll explain just how you can do it in a minute.

Third, investing requires more than just buying a few shares in a stock and then hoping it will grow. It must be the right stock. The right kind of company. Successful investing demands a strategy. That takes hours of research... and a thorough understanding of the stock market — the best practices... procedures... things to avoid... how to capitalize on an opportunity, etc. To make it profitable, you have to constantly be aware of what is happening in the market — in real time. That means tracking each stock and each market on a daily basis. And not just the US markets (Dow Jones, NASDAQ, S&P 500) but the world markets as well. But that’s not all. There’s the after-hours trading, so it’s virtually an around-the-clock engagement. And then, there is the terminology; just to acquire a basic knowledge of the relevant terms would take months.

Unless that is their job, it is quite honesty, nearly impossible for anyone to maintain that level of awareness. So, the common people, people like you and me, were simply left out. Left to fend for ourselves. Left to depend on luck. And as it happens, luck is not all that dependable.


Don’t Let Tradition Hold You Back.

Traditionally, investing required a fairly large sum of money to get started. Then there were broker fees, trading fees, and other associated costs. The average working person could not realistically afford to invest in the stock market. For those who were able, the learning curve was somewhat daunting. And learning, along with its setbacks, is not all that enticing when it’s costing you your own money. Money that could have been spent on necessities like food and rent.



But times have changed. In 2014, Walter and Jeff Cruttenden launched Acorns, an investment app for mobile devices, making investing accessible to everyone. The following year, the web-based version was introduced. Acorns makes investing painless because you are only investing a few cents at a time and they’ve taken all the guesswork out of the equation. From their website: “Acorns simplified the often tedious and complex process of investing. But that doesn’t mean the investment strategy is any less sophisticated.”


“Our mission is to look after the financial best interests of the up-and-coming, beginning with the empowering step of micro-investing.”

Micro-investing, investing small amounts, is what makes Acorns so appealing to many people. People who would never be able to be investors in the traditional sense.


About The Company.

Acorns is a legitimate and reputable financial service that makes investing simple and affordable for anyone. Acorns is the only micro-investing account that allows you to invest spare change. Set up in under 5 minutes and automatically add money to your diversified portfolio. They do all the work. All the time-consuming administrative duties. All the research. Acorns offers a user-friendly platform and is rated the number one investment app for new investors by Business Insider [2018]. Earlier this year, Forbes included Acorns in their exclusive FinTech 50. [February 4, 2019]. And Joe Raspolich of TheCollegeInvestor.Com said, “Acorns has continued to innovate, and it’s raised the bar for micro-investing apps.”

And it’s not just the financial experts who are raving about Acorns. Take a look at what their customers are saying:


“I love the concept, especially the roundups...” - J. Keeling

“... a very easy way to save money and have a little emergency fund.”
- O. Mahone

“Acorns allows me to invest my spare change and invest just $10 a month. Those small amounts really do add up.” - J. Smith

“Excellent way to save and invest. The app is easy to use and does it for you.” - D. Mangold

“I love the round up option with the multiplier! Before I knew it there was over $300 in there!” - C. Campbell




How Does It All Work?

There are many methods of investing with Acorns but the easiest is their one-of-a-kind Round-ups. When you link a credit or debit card to your Acorns Core Account, they track your transactions, round up the purchase to the next dollar, and invest that amount. For example: If you spend $9.56 on breakfast, Acorns would deduct .44 from your bank account and add that to your Acorns Investment Account. You choose from one of five pre-built “smart portfolios,” ranging from conservative to aggressive. If you’d like to invest more you can easily do so by taking advantage of the multiplier selection. Simply set your desired multiplier and automatically invest the round-up amount multiplied by 2, 3, or 10. (Note: They let the small amounts accumulate until the balance reaches $5.00 before deducting it from your checking).

You also have the option of adding additional funds at any time. Instead of stashing a few dollars a week in a traditional savings account — which currently pays about 2% interest — you can add that money to your Acorns Account and take advantage of the earning power of the stock market. All of this with no broker fees or transaction fees.



But Wouldn’t Putting My Money In A CD Be Smarter?


A CD or, Certificate of Deposit, does have advantages. But it also has several disadvantages. A CD can cost thousands of dollars and the return is astonishingly low. Current rates are around a half percent for a six-month CD. Longer term CD’s can offer a slightly higher rate — but not much —generally only 1.5%. And keep in mind, any money invested in a CD is locked up for the entire length of the term. It’s still your money, but you can’t access it. So those unexpected expenses that plague all of us:  a broken phone... medical bills...  a pet emergency... increased utility bills... a speeding ticket... fundraisers... gifts...
                       
Unless you have thousands of dollars lying around that you are certain you won’t need for six months, a year, or longer, a CD is probably not for you. But with Acorns, you get a better option. Unlike a CD, you need only a small amount to open up an account... you’ll get a much higher return on your investment... your money is instantly available... and you can access or transfer funds instantly. With just a few clicks you can move your money funds to another investment — within Acorns, to a different platform or into your bank account. Plus, your first six months with Acorns is entirely FREE! Yes, FREE. I’ll tell you how to take advantage of the FREE offer but before I do, I forgot to mention some of the other programs Acorns offers.





And now, back to the price. It’s fairly simple. After the first month, which is free, Acorns charges $1.00 per month until your account value reaches $1 million. Since we’re talking spare change, the first few months, with an account of less than $100, that fee may seem a little high but keep in mind that as your investments grow, the fee does not. So, years from now when your spare change has turned into a few thousand, the monthly fee will remain just $1.00 for the basic plan, known as Acorns Core. They also offer $2 and 3$ monthly plans.


Try it Risk-Free for Six Months.

Remember that I said you could get Acorns FREE for six months? Here’s how. When you take advantage of this limited-time offer by clicking on one of the links in this post, Acorns will give you $5.00 to get you started. That’s their way of saying thanks for your business. After the initial free month, the $5.00 will cover the next five months’ fee. That’s six months, absolutely FREE. So, you can try it out risk-free for an entire six months. If you find that the investing thing is not for you, simply cash out what you’ve accumulated and close your account. You have nothing to lose. And if you’re a student...


Acorns Core at the $1/month Level is FREE for College Students.

If you’re in college Acorns just got better! The basic plan, Acorns Core, is FREE for college students. You pay nothing as long as you’re enrolled in college. In other words, there’s absolutely nothing to lose.


Acorns offers a unique solution to overcoming the mental barrier: ‘I just don’t have enough money to be investing.’
Acorns really is investing made simple. Invest as little or as much as you want. There is no downside. Click on the link below to get started.

Give Acorns A Try.

Start Investing Today.

One other thing: Acorns has an extensive array of tracking features, charts and graphs, that help you see exactly how much you’ve invested, what return you’re currently getting, and how much you can expect to earn over time, by year. This makes it super easy to see how your money is working for you. Of course, if you’d rather not bother with all the numbers, if you’re not the facts and figures kind of person, you can set it and forget it. Take a few minutes to determine what you want to invest in and then you never have to touch it. Either way, rest assured, your money will still be there working for you.

Questions? Visit Acorns.com

Sunday, March 3, 2019

What A Spectacle

While sitting in a restaurant with my wife this past weekend, my mind began to wander. Way back. About 44 years ago. Back to another time when I was sitting in that very same restaurant. It’s undergone some renovation and has a new name, but still the same building.

I could see the place the way it used to be, and for a minute or two it was almost like I’d traveled back in time. I started to smile to myself as I remembered an incident. My wife asked what I was thinking and I related the story to her. She didn’t think it was all that funny, so I thought I’d give it a try here:

S, there I was, about seven or eight years old, sitting at a table with my brother. We’d been there for quite some time, about two hours or more, waiting on our parents to finish talking to whoever we were with. Sorry, I don’t remember just who else was there.

We were at our own table, and getting a little restless. So, we got the bright idea of using our straws to shoot pieces of the crushed ice from our drinks. At first we aimed at various insignificant things: the windows, pictures on the wall, or the exit sign. Then, one of us, not sure who, started launching our ice projectiles toward an elderly man sitting across the dining area. Soon, it was both of us, taking turns. Seeing who could hit our new “target.”

A few of our missiles landed close and the guy, a little confused, would look around wondering what was going on. Then, one of us — again, not sure which one — scored a direct hit. The old man was a bit startled as the ice splattered over his glasses. He took them off to clean them and gazed around the room, searching for the culprit. My brother and I feigned innocence of course, acting like we weren’t paying attention to the man and his “adventure.”

It should have been rather obvious who the guilty party was —we were the only kids in the entire restaurant — but for some reason the man never said a word. Not to us or our parents. Just resumed eating. Although, he did try to keep a watchful eye out for the rest of his meal.

Figuring we’d gotten away with enough for one night, we held our fire and moved on to other things. I couldn’t really tell you what, but probably things just as mischievous.

I know, not a very inspirational story. Hardly noble. But hey, we were kids. Kids having fun. We had a laugh and no one got hurt so all in all a decent outcome — sort of. I guess that depends on one’s perspective.

Then I had another thought; maybe there’s more to these straw bans than just the stupidity of legislators...  ~


Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, The Lana Denae Mysteries, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million. 

Monday, February 25, 2019

Back In School


You’re never too old to learn — as my grandson pointed out to me the other day. He was explaining to me that three times 20 is 60, to which I agreed. But my agreement was not enough, he wanted to make sure that I actually understood WHY it was so. Now, keep in mind this is coming from a five-year-old so the logic may be a little convoluted.

He said, “If you have twenty and you add another twenty that makes forty. But that’s not sixty because you only had two of them. If you add another twenty to the first twenty and the other twenty, that makes sixty because now you have three of them.”

I nodded and told him he was right.

But he wasn’t finished. “It’s like if you add one and one.”

Now I frowned. “Not quite the same.”

He kept talking as if he hadn’t heard. “If you keep doing that, you’ll get to sixty — eventually.” (That last word was added with a roll of the eyes and a bit of sarcasm).

I had to agree again. But I told him I wasn’t going to just add one number at a time all the way to sixty because that would take too long.

He looked at me as if I wasn’t quite all there. “That’s why you just add twenty three times.”

“Oh,” I said.

He seemed satisfied he’d successfully explained the math problem to me but then felt compelled to continue our “lessons.” He asked, “Do you know what half of one is?”

“Um, half?” I asked, playing along.

He looked surprised. “Yes, one half.”

I said, “So how many halves does it take to make two?”

“Grandpa, you just have to add halves until you get to two.”

“That’s true,” I said. “But how many would I have to add to get to two?”

Sighing, he said, “I think you’re going to have to study some more. But don’t worry, you’re never too old to learn.”

Well that’s good news, I thought. At least he has confidence in me. “So, you don’t think I’m too old to learn?”

He shook his head. “Remember? I just taught you how much three twenties are.”

Well, okay then. I guess it’s true; you’re never too old to learn! However, you may be too young to teach! ~

Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, The Lana Denae Mysteries, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million.

Monday, February 18, 2019

Love Asylum


As you may know, we recently had a holiday. No, I’m not talking about today, which is Presidents’ Day, I’m referring to Valentine’s Day.

My wife and I attended a Valentine’s Banquet on Saturday. Not particularly surprising, I know, since we’ve been married for almost thirty-two years. What is surprising to me, is that she still claims me and is willing to attend such events — or even be seen in public  together at all. After being together this long, I’ve regrettably given her plenty of reason to not be so eager to do so.

So, there we were at the banquet, and of course, there were the typical games based on couple’s knowledge of each other. As usual, this leads to everyone talking about how long they’ve been together, or how well they know each other — or do not know each other, as the case may be. These games are certainly revealing, and quite often good for a few laughs.  

But the whole time, I’m thinking that’s not really a good measuring device for love. Not that my wife and I don’t know each other very well, we do. We can predict with nearly 100% accuracy what the other one is thinking and how we’ll respond to questions or situations. Still, that doesn’t really provide any real indication of the level of love.

A better way of measuring love is how well do couples put up with each other’s quirks and annoyances, or objectionable behaviors. Obviously, a game designed around such questions wouldn’t be nearly as fun, might cause a little trouble, or in some cases, lead to a breakup. But that illustrates my point. This would be a more accurate measurement of love. Because love isn’t all roses and hearts. Love is something more. Something deeper. Something meaningful. Love is a commitment. A “no matter what” decision.

I’m just glad my wife’s commitment means that she’ll still go out in public with me. Because I can easily see how she might be intent on having me committed! ~

Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, The Lana Denae Mysteries, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million.

Monday, February 11, 2019

Should I, Or Shouldn't I?


Should I, Or Shouldn’t I?

Thought I had escaped the major effects of Old Man Winter this year. I know other places have experienced their share of the “glories” of the season, but where I live, it’s been one of the mildest winters on record. Unseasonably warm and far less snow than normal. It had me re-thinking my hostility toward my least favorite season. Until this past weekend.

We got dumped on!

It’s particularly hard to deal with a substantial amount of snowfall when the winter is so close to being over and when there’s been no bad weather thus far. On Saturday, I shoveled out the driveway and walks four times. (That’s about five too many by my count!) Every time I’d finish it was time to start again.

As I shoveled, I kept thinking how it was getting a little harder to do every year. Either I’m getting older or the snow is getting heavier. Either way, in a few short years, I’ll be unable to keep up. Especially if we have a bad winter instead of the half way mild one we’re currently living through. But I have a plan.

No, the plan does not involve moving south. While the warmer weather may be enticing, moving is not really an option — I like living here. It’s home. And I’m not going to let winter weather drive me out of my home. And even if I did, knowing my luck, winter would just tag along. So that’s definitely out. Besides, a move would be very expensive and the plan I have in mind will cost only a fraction of that.

Neither does the plan involve hiring someone to do the shoveling for me. I try not to hire anything done because it’s usually not done right and I end up having to fix it. And that’s kind of annoying. Besides, hiring someone would be very expensive, and the plan I have in mind is far cheaper.

I suppose one possibility would be just to do nothing and let the snow pile up. But that would lead to a plethora of other issues that I don’t need to deal with. Besides, being trapped at home all winter might not be good for the bank account, and the plan I have in mind is not that hard on the wallet.

So, I’ll just stick to my plan. And I thank you for your patience as I rationalized and justified the expense of purchasing a snow blower! ~

Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, The Lana Denae Mysteries, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million.

Monday, February 4, 2019

Eating Crow?


I learned something this past week—about sharing. I thought I knew what sharing was all about but apparently I was wrong.

My wife and I were sitting on a patio enjoying a bag of Peanut M&M’s—the “sharing size.” As the bag says, we were SHARING them.

After a few minutes outside, we went back in, leaving the bag of M&M’s outside. Soon afterwards, I heard a commotion outside; it sounded like it was right outside the door. I couldn’t determine what the noise was but it definitely was loud enough to warrant an investigation. Since we were several stories off the ground, there was no reason for any such noise.

Stepping out the door, I saw nothing amiss.  Figuring I was just hearing things, I went back inside. A little later, when we ventured out onto the patio again, I heard my wife say, “Is that my M&M’s?”

“Where?”

“Down there by the crow.”

I looked down to the yard and sure enough, there was a crow, busy poking his beak into our bag of M&M’s! Now I understood what all the racket had been—a crow making off with our half-full bag of candy.

Rather than try to get the bag back, I went to the store and bought another. But this time, we guarded them better. Despite what was printed on the bag we just weren’t really into sharing, not with a bird anyway.

So, here’s what I learned: apparently crows like M&M’s. A lot. They like them enough to steal them. Just thought I’d share that with you. ~

Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, The Lana Denae Mysteries, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million.

Sunday, January 27, 2019

Temporary Diversion


Hijacked! No, not my plane—although, I did recently have a flight. But no worries, we landed safe and sound.

The hijacking to which I refer has nothing to do with airplanes. But it’s something perhaps more critical, my computer!

It’s been quite a few years since I’ve had the displeasure of a major computer problem —a virus or anything of that nature. But then, last week my good fortune came to an end.

It seemed that no matter what I clicked on, whether online or just an icon or file on my computer, a browser opened, taking me to someplace I did not want to go; a site I did not want to visit. It didn’t happen every time but more than enough. Even once is more than enough!

I ran a scan with my anti-virus software and found nothing. It said there were no problems and my computer was safe from attack. Right! I ran a few other scans with different software and still, found nothing.

The failed scans didn’t mean I was beaten though, it just meant I couldn’t take care of the problem the easy way. One day later—yep, a full day is what I lost—my computer was up and running.

I’ll not bore you with a technical description of what it took to get rid of the problem, I’ll just say, I’m still convinced that the anti-virus companies are the ones originating and spreading computer viruses. Then, they offer the antidote—for a “small” fee of course.

In any case, I solved the problem; I hijacked the hijackers! ~

Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, The Lana Denae Mysteries, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million.

Monday, January 21, 2019

Game Over? Not Quite


Back before my wife and I were married, our dates usually consisted of going out for pizza—and playing the arcade games commonly found in those establishments. She liked Ms. Pac-Man; my game was Galaga. This was in the eighties when such games were popular and new.

As teenagers with nothing else to do, we spent a lot of time playing them. And a lot of quarters too! Yeah, I know, kind of a waste of money. But it was an easy way to find entertainment. And as entertainment goes, it wasn’t really all that expensive—especially after a few months, when we got better at the games. Once we’d “mastered” them, we could spend an hour or more on just fifty cents: a quarter for her and a quarter for me. Of course, we did still have to buy a pizza, but thirty years ago, that was only about five bucks.

After we got married and life became a little busier, we never really had the time to play that much, other than when we happened to run across a Ms. Pac-Man or Galaga game somewhere. Through the years that happened less frequently as the games of our era were replaced by the “new” and “better” arcade games. As you might imagine we were less than impressed with the new games.

When our kids started getting older and things like Nintendo, Game Boy, and Play Station began showing up in our house, we were happy to see our favorite games of yesteryear had been included on many of them. But playing the games on the new consoles was just not the same. The buttons were all wrong, they were missing a joystick, and the set up was completely different from that to which we were accustomed. This all proved too adverse for us. And frustrating too, since our kids could play the games, but we could not—at least not very well.

So, for the last several years we haven’t really played much. Sure, there are still a few old style games to be found here and there but most of them are worn out. The joysticks don’t work right, the fire buttons are unreliable, and the screens are so fuzzy a guy can’t see what he’s doing. And yes, I know, new stand-up “Original” arcade style games have been available for a while—at Wal-Mart and other stores—but I wasn’t willing to spend $300, or more, to buy one. So, it looked like our Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga days were over.

But then...

After years of listening as we lamented the passing of “our” games, a month or so ago, our son showed up with two small packages: one for his Mother and one for me. We opened the packages to find a couple of mini-arcade games—Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga. They look just like the old stand-up games, complete with a joystick and the original buttons, but they’re small enough to carry around from room to room—with one hand. You can set them on a counter or table and pretend it’s the eighties! And although the screens are much smaller, the resolution and dimension ratio are true to the originals. The main difference is they don’t cost a quarter to play! Good thing, ’cause with the price of pizza these days, I can’t afford another fifty cents for games! ~


Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, The Lana Denae Mysteries, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million.

Monday, January 14, 2019

Baby, It's Cold Outside

This past week, I had the privilege of doing a little work outside—repairing a fence and a few other small jobs. It wasn’t that much work actually, and took only about two and a half hours.

The temperature was barely above freezing and although I really despise the cold weather, it didn’t seem that bad outside. In fact, I even took my coat off about a half an hour into the job because I was getting a little warm. Maybe because I was working!

On my way home, I drove past some construction workers. They were all standing around, hands in their pockets, hooded sweatshirts on, and shivering—like it was cold or something.

A minute or two later, I passed some city workers. Same story. Standing there doing nothing, all bundled up and shivering.

Me, I still hadn’t put my coat back on and was driving with my window down.

I considered stopping to let them know that if they actually did some work they might not be so cold. But I figured they didn’t really care what I had to say. So, I kept driving.

But when I stopped at the gas station and the guy pumping gas asked how I could be running around with no coat and a short-sleeved shirt, I couldn’t resist.

“Been working,” I told him.

“Me too,” he said.

Well not hard enough or you wouldn’t be cold! I thought it but didn’t say it. No, not because I’m thoughtful really. I normally say whatever comes to mind. But the reason I didn’t say it is because usually I’m the guy shivering in the cold. So, I know how it feels.

At least that’s part of the reason.

The rest of the story, as Paul Harvey used to say, is because of my wife. Not that she’s a cold-blooded killer. Or cold-hearted. She just likes the temperature cold. Really cold. She’s been known to run the air conditioner in our house in December. And January. And this happens frequently! Rarely, is the temperature in my house at a livable level and I wear a coat inside nearly all winter. (In fact, I’m wearing my coat as I type this). Because apparently, my wife thinks the house should be kept suitable for a polar bear habitat.

So, I know from experience that once a guy gets cold, it’s hard to warm up. Especially if you have a wife like mine. And now that I’ve finished with this post, I’m going to go turn up the heat. ’Cause I’m cold! ~


Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, The Lana Denae Mysteries, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million.

Monday, January 7, 2019

A Passing Fail

It’s been a while since I’ve written anything about my school days. You’d think that I would have exhausted all my stories about school by now, but no. What I have done is exhausted the supply of stories that I’m willing to divulge. But I figured if I thought hard enough, I could dredge up one that wasn’t too damaging.

And I did. Maybe.

I was in the fourth grade. My teacher, an elderly lady who should have retired long before I was in her class didn’t seem to like me much. I’m not sure why but it didn’t really matter because I didn’t like her much either. But then, none of her students did.

Which is why when I came across a copy of an upcoming test, lying there on her desk for all the world to see, I devised a little scheme. No, I didn’t take the test, didn’t even touch it. So, technically, I wasn’t guilty of any wrongdoing. At least in my mind. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t use what I’d found.

Let me explain. See, I’ve always had a pretty good memory. I could memorize things with very little effort—and in very little time. So, I took the liberty of memorizing the test, all of it, while the teacher was busy correcting my work that I’d turned in for that day.

Back at my desk, I carefully wrote down each of the questions. Then, flipping through the textbook, I found the answers and filled them in. My original thought was to make copies and hand them out to my classmates. But I knew that would cost money; besides, I also knew that someone, wasn’t sure who, but someone, would rat me out. So instead, I conveniently left the test inside another kid’s desk when no one was looking.

As I’d hoped, the next day, this other student shared his new treasure with a friend. And then another friend. Soon, it seemed the whole class had a copy of that test. Except me. It appeared I was the only honest one.

Yeah, my teacher didn’t buy that either.

As I had figured, someone did tell her what was going on. She went around the room, from desk to desk, collecting all the papers that had been circulated. But of course, when she got to me, I didn’t have one.

She didn’t say a whole lot but I could tell that she knew. And obviously, though I didn’t think of it at the time, it was all in my handwriting, which I’m sure she could easily recognize.

As a result of all this, the test was changed. Somewhat anyway. A lot of the same material was on the alternate test the teacher handed out a couple of days later—just switched around a little. But also as a result of all this, I had no problem completing the test; I’d searched out the answers already, and then written them down. The material still was in my head so the answers came pretty easily.

Eventually, a few weeks later, I think, the teacher did ask me if I had taken the test. I said no, but then told her what I’d done. She wasn’t impressed. In fact, she didn’t believe me. She said there was no way I could memorize an entire test in just a few minutes.

So, I recited the test for her, word for word—along with the answers. It worked, she was convinced; I hadn’t “taken” the test. For a moment, I remember thinking I was off the hook. Then she opened her desk, took out my test from that day, and marked a big red “F” on it. Now, some would say I deserved that but I’m still convinced that she just didn’t like me. Still not sure why either! ~


Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, The Lana Denae Mysteries, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million. 

Monday, December 31, 2018

Just One Thing


Well, here we are on the last day of 2018. The end of another year. As usual, it has flown by. In less than twenty-four hours, it will be 2019.

I’ve listened to the usual year-end examination of events—the year in retrospect, listened to the routine New Year’s predictions; the fears and concerns of what a new year will bring. Everything from politics to entertainment to security and health, even our culture will be impacted they say.

I find that for the most part, New Year’s predictions are, well, predictable. There are always those who think the world will end and there are those who say the world will be much better. Most people tend to fall somewhere in the middle, in that, they believe things will improve on some levels and on other levels things will worsen.

I can’t really predict the future but I don’t think all that much will change. Not drastically anyway, or all at once. The world is constantly changing and nothing stays the same but that change is gradual. The change takes time. I’m not sure that simply the advent of a new year really has much bearing on it. Except for one thing.

There is one thing that will immediately and noticeably change. One big change. And it will affect everyone. So, what is the one change?

The answer is a simple matter of addition; the eight in our year will become a nine. 2018 will be 2019—a difference of... one. That’s the one change I predict. ~

Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, The Lana Denae Mysteries, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million.

Monday, December 24, 2018

That Time Of Year Again


The time I’ve waited for has arrived! And no, I’m not talking about Christmas. And not the New Year either. What I’m referring to is that the days are getting longer! Not really noticeable yet, I admit, but still longer. Being that I’m a nocturnal creature and wake up when darkness falls you’d think I’d be happy with longer nights. But there’s something deeply depressing about it getting dark at 4:30 in the afternoon.

Back when I worked a normal job, with normal hours, I rarely saw my house in the daylight during the winter months—until the weekend. I’d leave in the dark and get home in the dark. Ugh! These days, I do get to see my house during the day but that doesn’t seem to take away the gloomy feeling early darkness brings. I always get the feeling that I’ve been short-changed; that I’ve been cheated out of a full day. And of course, it also affects how much I can get done outside, which leads to frustration.

And that’s why I look forward to the days getting longer. Don’t worry, I still stay up half of the night—or more, ’cause there’s plenty of things to do inside as well, and there’s that nocturnal part of me to consider—but I don’t have the sense that I’m being ripped off and robbed of my daylight hours. And though the time gained is negligible at this point, at least things are moving in the right direction and that always puts me in a better mood.

But six months from now, even though summer (my favorite time of the year) will by then be in full swing, I’ll start feeling a little bummed—because the days will be getting shorter. And again, I’ll be wishing away my life, looking forward to December 21st! ~


Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, The Lana Denae Mysteries, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million.

Monday, December 17, 2018

The Gift Of Irony

The Christmas shopping is all done. And with more than a week to spare! All the presents for the kids, the grandkids, and everybody else have been wrapped; we’re just waiting on Christmas. I think this is the earliest we’ve ever gotten it all done. And it’s actually kind of a good feeling. No braving the crowded stores for that last minute gift, or gifts, as is usually the case; we’re all set!

Or, so I thought. It suddenly occurred to me that I hadn’t purchased anything for my wife. Not to worry though, it shouldn’t be too hard to remedy. Several years ago, we decided that instead of spending a lot of money on each other, we’d focus on the kids—and now it’s the grandkids. But that being said, we still do get a small gift for each other; a token gift. Something that says “We don’t need to go broke to tell each other Merry Christmas!”

So, apparently, I’ll be heading back to the store tomorrow. I can’t wait much longer or I’ll be wading through the masses just to find a candy bar or something. Okay, I might actually get something more than a candy bar, I suppose. Although... I’m sure my wife would appreciate the chocolate! And truth be told, it wouldn’t be the first time I gift-wrapped a chocolate bar for her. But that was long ago—when we got more than just a token gift.

Now for the ironic part: When I confessed to my wife that I hadn’t remembered to get her a gift, she said that she hadn’t gotten me one either. So while the purpose of our token gift is symbolic and meant to say “I’m thinking of you,” I guess we really weren’t. Hmm, we may need to purchase bigger gifts this year! So much for the Christmas shopping being done! ~


Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, The Lana Denae Mysteries, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million. 

Sunday, December 9, 2018

Old Puzzler

This past week my wife’s parents were visiting from Wisconsin. It was nice to have them here, especially since I hadn’t seen them in a while. Throughout the week, we also had other visitors; my kids and their families came by, as did my parents.

One night when everyone was here, several of us were putting a puzzle together. Some of the grandkids were helping—well, one said he was helping but what he actually was doing was taking the pieces apart and then reassembling them. But at least it kept him occupied!

One of the other grandkids was just watching. I asked if he wanted to help and he said no. I said okay. But he still stood there watching. A few minutes later, I again asked if he wanted to help. Again, he said no. But this time he explained his reasoning.

“Putting puzzles together is for old people,” he said.

I laughed, noticing it was mostly the adults who were working on the puzzle. But then I pointed to the other side of the table where his brother was busy finding where pieces fit. “He is not old.”

“He’s just practicing so when he gets old he knows how to do puzzles.”

Well, I couldn’t really argue with that. I think that’s what we all did; started when we were young and now that we’re “old” we’re using what we learned. And not just with puzzles. I’m pretty sure that’s how most things work.

After thinking about it, I told him that I was doing the same thing—practicing for when I get old. He said, “Grandpa, you don’t need any more practice.”

I guess he could have meant I’m very good at puzzles but I think it was just a nice way of saying I’m already old! ~


Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, The Lana Denae Mysteries, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million. 

Monday, December 3, 2018

Home For The Holidays

It’s that time of year again. Christmas music is playing in stores. My neighbors have begun decorating, stringing lights, uprooting (or maybe cutting) trees and dragging them into their houses, and shopping is becoming next to impossible due to the sudden influx of Christmas shoppers.

It’s the time of year when I like to stay home. Just avoid the whole mess of crowded streets and parking lots as well as the hoards of people. Yet, in spite of my misgivings, I find myself needing things and end up heading to the store. And then wonder why I did.

This past week I waited in line for what seemed like half an hour. It probably wasn’t that long but as a guy who is always in a hurry, wasting time in a checkout line is a little annoying. Especially when it’s unnecessary. When it was finally my turn to checkout, the cashier asked if I’d found everything okay.

“No, I haven’t found my way home yet,” I said.

The response I got was rather interesting. “Do you need help finding your house?” the lady asked with a look of concerned pity.

Wondering how the lady planned to help me when she didn’t know where I lived, I shook my head. “Just need to get out of this crowded store and I’ll be fine,” I told her.

Again she gave me a strange look, sort of frowning at what I had in my hand. I didn’t know the reason until I looked down at my hands.

While in line, I’d been messing with my phone and somehow had turned on the flashlight. As it was late in the afternoon and dark outside, I guess the lady thought I really was having a hard time finding my way home. Or maybe she just thought I suffered from dementia, I don’t know.

I paid for my items and headed to the door. I noticed the lady still watching me so just to give her something to worry about; I paused in the doorway and turned my flashlight back on. As I left, the song blaring from the speakers was I’ll Be Home For Christmas. Hopefully, I thought. As long as I can find my way with this flashlight! ~


Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, The Lana Denae Mysteries, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million.