The game show “Deal or No Deal” premiered in 2005, and NBC took advantage of its faddish popularity by airing it at least twice a week in primetime. By 2008, it died of overexposure, joining Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and other burn out cases on the obscure Game Show Network. In its heyday,…
Read MorePrior chapters of the Clean Plate Club murder mystery can be found in the Murder Mystery category listed on the right. We walked into the café together with my shoulder propping Goddard up. Fanny took one look at him and immediately started putting together another ice pack. Goddard’s head wobbled as he looked up through…
Read MoreAs my husband can attest, I am not an everyday cook, but I do enjoy cooking for a special occasion. But then Nick wonders why I experiment on dinner guests. My answer is that my cooking is a “one and done” event. It is similar to my knitting. I can always find a way…
Read MorePrior chapters of the Clean Plate Club Murder Mystery are filed in the murder mystery category. I was startled to see that it was already 4:30 PM. I would have to hustle back to Goddard’s studio to make sure that I had time to find a parking space before our 5 PM appointment. I pulled…
Read MoreNow that my children are grown, I can’t remember the last time I used the word “oops.” Sure – it’s part of my vocabulary, but I have never spent any time considering its various implications. Until of course, last week when Rick Perry was floundering around trying to remember the three US departments that he…
Read MoreThursday, with nothing on my schedule for Friday. First time in a long time that I wasn’t going to be working a weekend. So I certainly didn’t want to take Penny’s case, but the referral was from Charles Grimes, my father’s old partner on the force. “Hey Liza, I’ve got a case that I think…
Read MoreI initially titled my little murder mystery “The Blue Hammer,” in homage to the Lew Archer detective series written by Ross MacDonald. However, I will definitely need a title of my own if I continue this exercise. After reading a few more Lew Archer books, I realized that the title need only be tenuously related to…
Read MorePrior chapters of The Clean Plate Club Murder Mystery are filed in the “Murder Mystery” category. Chapter 10 My next stop was the University where I thought that I would start with the fencing coach. I knew that I couldn’t get any information from the administration – schools these days don’t even feel the need…
Read MoreEvery now and then when I am doing errands, I stop at the local bookstore to see what’s new. I freely admit that I judge a book by its cover – the title, the graphics and any blurbs. I also like to stroke the cover – a nice grainy feel may be the tipping point…
Read MoreHealth care rationing for family pets has struck me as an interesting contrast to the emotional and unsolvable issue of health care rationing for humans. Pet owners routinely make budgetary decisions on when to put a pet down, or how aggressively to treat a chronic disease. Veterinarians typically required up front payment for pet surgery, concerned that owners will…
Read More