: Playing A Part We all play a part, or I suppose, more accurately, we have the opportunity to play a part. Some take …
: Convalescing It’s amazing how much you learn about something when it suddenly is vying for a large amount of your …
: Telos It’s that time of year when college baseball teams, whose home fields reside in northern climates, …
: Alexa Google tells me that gaslighting is “an insidious form of emotional abuse and manipulation where the …
: Zesta For as long as the written word has been in existence, there has most likely been writers of those …
: Slow Close Another semester in the books. They seem to gather speed as the years go by. I enjoy attending …
: Nudges For as long as I’ve known what a visit to the dentist for a checkup and cleaning meant, I have …
: Merrily Skip If you spend any time on any sort of social media, you have probably noticed the massive influx of …
: Shine On On November 5th, 1995, our daughter, Sierra McKay, exited the womb at St. Lukes Hospital in …
: Can-Can “Indoctrination” is defined as “the process of teaching a person or group to accept a set of beliefs …
: Hall of Fame Although the daytime temperatures still feel like summer, the daytime allotment of sunlight, the …
: Irish Spring Being a human is a lot of work, especially if you happen to be a human that resides in a human body. …
: Archived After reading the article “Old News, New Life: Decades of the Tribune Go Digital” in the August 20th …
: Something Blue Something borrowed, something blue, something old, and something new. On September 19th, 1975, my …
: Legally Lingering A few weeks back my wife and I ventured westward to give musician Sierra Ferrell a listen at the …
: Becoming Literature I don’t hate snakes. When I’m out camping or hiking I don’t go stark raving mad at the sight of a …
: Rambling About June was here just a minute ago, and then we turned around and went to Houston for a graduation, …
: Little Ride We ventured to Houston last week to attend our nephew’s graduation, enjoy some family time, and to …
: Tony Dawn and I spent Memorial Day weekend in Grenville, South Dakota, where her dad, Bernie, and several …
: Windowpane A sound from long ago found its way into my head recently. I’m not sure why, I’m not sure how, but I …
: Renewal My cousin Jamie, who has been blogging for about the same period of time that I’ve been writing this …
: Dude Wiped One pair of Levi’s ¾ Bottle of olive oil Small sack of potatoes ½ a bag of cheese ¾ of a bag of …
: Pinewood Happy Spring to you. Less than nine shopping months until Christmas. Carol Olney, of Lignite, …
: Christmas/St. Patrick's Day Please give a warm welcome to my daughter, Sierra, as the guest columnist for this week’s Ramblings. …
: Chagrined Every other week for the past two semesters the students in my Aging & Death class take a field …
: Journeys & Destinations There are many quotes and sayings that muse about the journey being more important and more …
: Exiled On Christmas Day, while the family was opening gifts, Sierra and Jackson told me, “You will have to …
: John Boy John Boy Walton once said, “The mountains don’t need us, but we need them.” John Boy was a smart …
: Cookie Insurance About a week before Christmas, I was wrapping one of the many presents I showered upon my wife in an …
: Great Aunt When I saw the picture of my Aunt Susie and my first-grade teacher Mrs. McEvers on the front page of …
: Choice Days I have always thought it interesting how different days of the week possess a distinct “feel,” a …
: Tepid Tapioca On November 22, 1986, my 14-year-old self watched a 20-year-old Mike Tyson become the youngest …
: Middle Cookie Do you remember when you were a kid and your parents were painting the garage or the house or most …
: Night Rider's Lament I looked up from my guitar as I was singing “Night Rider’s Lament” to see tears streaming down Don’s …
: Back to the Future September 24th, 1994 doesn’t seem that long ago. In comparison, it seems much nearer than the …
: Ours & Theirs A few weeks ago, we made the 400-mile jaunt from Rapid City to upstate North Dakota to be a part of …
: Dr. Kid A handful of times over the past few years I’ve had to drag my aging body in to be inspected by …
: Sort Of Between June 29th and July 21st, I spent a fair bit of time galivanting around various parts of …
: Palindrome As has been the case for the past 25-years, my July 17th birthday conveniently occurred one day …
: High Five On July 4th, as the sun began to descend, and various iterations of rockets red glare and bombs …
: Making Hay Welcome to July. Where June went, I can’t say for sure. It was here one minute, I turned around to …
: Chautauqua As stated on the Robert Pirsig Association website, “April 15th, 2024 marked the 50th …
: Hickey Happy June to you. I was thinking the other day that it’s been a long time since I’ve …
: Every Song I hope you all had a lovely Mother’s Day, or at the very least, a mildly tolerable Sunday. …
: HONK HONK What is the purpose of car alarms? There is a pickup on campus that seems to be of the sensitive …
: Off Trail A bit of Spring weather found the Black Hills this weekend, prompting many a folk to get out and …
: Jaunty Hair Irish music, or to be more precise, Irish songs, are a form of musical expression that have been a …
: SCENES I have been a professor in the Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Department at Chadron State …
: Stout Memories I don’t know for certain if I remember the actual event, or if I think I remember the event …
: Premeditation Malorum A cousin of mine was looking for some home video footage of our Grandpa, Fritz Ellis, for a project …
: Alice Those that are concerned about robots taking over the world and subjecting us human types to lives …
: Fittingly Gritty I hope you Upstate North Dakota folks are happy, you ordered so much bitterly cold weather that the …
: Contentment Happy New Year to you and anyone else wanting and/or needing such a year. Happy, that is, not so …
: Fermenting Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the dim …
: Friends and Children Jackson, our son, has been driving for UPS for a little over a year now. Keeping the fine folks of …
: Funded Each year around this time the college foundation and alumni office organizes a Fall Fund Drive to …
: Skin Deep I recently paid a visit to my dermatologist, not a social visit, rather my annual visit to pay the …
: Carry On For those of you that are completely color blind, I thought I’d inform you that autumn is …
: Dead Mans Hat We’ve lived in Rapid City for about 25-years, and every few months or so of each of those …
: Cooks Choice Have you ever fell down a rabbit hole? You go to the World Wide Web in search of some quick little …
: Indispensible On November 3rd, 2004, the Ramblings column made its debut here in the Burke County Tribune. Pert …
: Pringles As we move through life, experiences accumulate, some we would like to experience again, some we …
: Little Human Things The other day I realized that I am closer in age to those that are 60 than to those whippersnapper …
: A River It took a few more days into camping season than is customary, but our 1967 Aristocrat Lo-Liner …
: Eternal Recurrence When we last spoke I was preparing to traverse the 1,300 miles between Grenville, South Dakota, and …
: In Stereo Have you ever suggested something well in advance of something that was to occur and then wonder …
: In the End In the end…all was well, but in the beginning, or more accurately, the time leading up to the …
: Look Tired It’s a glorious week. It is finals week on campus. That week when some students suddenly …
: Stuff Have you ever been engaged in the task of seeking out and purchasing a new vehicle, when, seemingly …
: Chased Welcome to April. The month charged with providing showers to supply May with flowers. The …
: Cold Cut Coma My wife and I just returned home from a trip to visit our daughter, Sierra, in Brooklyn. She’s …
: The 3B Effect It’s been quite a few years since I owned a bathrobe. Exactly how many years, I can’t …
: Kleenex and Costume Jewelry My wife and I are friends with a couple that lives in Helena, Montana, and every so often we try and …
: Shiny Shoes Month two, the new year is old news. The “New You”, that you resolved to bring to …
: Megaplied Life My wife informed me that the Mega Millions Lottery had climbed pretty high the other day, and that …
: 2022 Roundup Another year come-and-gone. They seem to be picking up speed? The years, not me. Thank you for …
: Man VS Beast “Every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings.” That’s fine and dandy little …
: Selfless and Kind As humans, we are aware of our precarious finitude within the infinite expanses of time. We know …
: Grandma Helen Like many of you, the day I was born, I had four grandparents to welcome me into this world. Four …
: Zen Masters Our daughter asked me, “What about being a child do I miss the most?” Good question. I …
: Aloof Well for those of you without access to a calendar, smartphone, or contact with anyone other than …
: Wilson As many of you are aware, due to my endless lamenting and carrying on, we had to lay our 13-year old …
: Tea Time When I was a kid I wanted to be many things. I wanted to be a cowboy like John Wayne, ride high in …
: Gus and Call Mystery solved. Back in May of 2021, I wrote “Sublet Piglet”, a column where I explored …
: VROOM VROOM With the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in full swing, it’s been a noisy week here in the Black …
: Ideal Enough Welcome to August. The first days of which bring to mind all of the things that you had planned on …
: Clubbed I don’t know how they knew, but they can leave me alone, and they can keep their free …
: Independence I hope you had an enjoyable Independence Day doing whatever it is you like to do on such days. …
: Lucky Man Lying on my back in the thick soft grass on the summit of Mount Brandon, Cnoc Breanainn in Irish, …
: Should Be Happy June to you. I hope your summer gets well spent, and come September, you have a stack of fond …
: My Mom For Christmas this past year, my daughter got me a gift that, in the words of cousin Eddy on …
: Brother-In-Law On the afternoon of April 30th, we got word that our brother-in-law Chad had died peacefully with my …
: Benefits Growing up in a small town you become quite accustomed to seeing flyers for benefits being held for …
: Mort Happy Spring. Hope you are enjoying, or at a minimum, adequately enduring, all that spring brings to …
: Long Ride The other day I was pondering all the stupid stuff I’ve done. Well, maybe not all, but some, I …
: Round and Round As we arrive at a point on the calendar where there could possibly be more winter behind us than in …
: Communiter As you are most likely aware, the Winter Olympics are in full swing. Young folks from all over the …
: Be Present At the beginning of each semester, during the first day of each of my classes, a day that generally …
: Pass the Crayons Bacon, side pork, pork chops, ham, pork rinds, crayons, suede shoes…now a heart. A few days …
: Pre The definition of the word buddy is “a close friend”. I’m generally the last to …
: Hot One Once upon a time, April 11, 1969, to be exact, my Mom and Dad had their first date. As Mom tells …
: Time Share I’m happy to report that the family has successfully rescued a pine tree from the cold and …
: 100 Yards Out There are many things in life that we wind up classifying as “a 9-iron”, that is, they …
: The Good Ones A few weeks ago, Dawn and I headed north for a visit. As is generally the case, we didn’t have …
: In the End She decided it was time to make some changes in her life. Where to start? She decides to start this …
: Dead Ringer Finger Pistols Frank was the best horseshoe thrower in the county, just ask him. Each year during …
: Precious Cargo How often do you witness something that makes your eyebrows lunge for your hairline as your eyes …
: 1854 I am always a bit hesitant to tell people what they should see, where they should go, or what they …
: Dedication The bookend of summer is upon us. Happy August. The Olympics are in full swing in Tokyo, and over …
: Once Was I’ve known for quite some time that it is time to stop doing something that I’ve been …
: Boreless We humans form emotional attachments to many things, automobiles, animals (both stuffed and …
: Good Day On June 8th, 1996 Dawn and I were united in marriage at a destination wedding in Webster, South …
: Real World Sometimes it seems as though the blinking cursor on the white page of the Microsoft Word document …
: Sublet Piglet Happy May. Along South Dakota Highway 79, somewhere between Buffalo Gap and Hot Springs, just inside …
: For NOTHING When we last “spoke” my brother and I were being sent to our rooms for eating …
: RePass the Carrots I decided to venture into the Ramblings archives for this week’s column. “Pass the …
: Credit Giving credit where credit is due has most likely been a major tenet of being a decent human since …
: Jocularity Whenever my good friend Paul asks, “what do you have going on the weekend of….?”, …
: Ten Toes You happy? Winter heard us yammering on and on about the mild temperatures we’ve been having, …
: RIP For those of you that are not on our Christmas card list (you know why), I thought I’d share …
: Total Loss Well it’s been a wild and woolly start for 2021 here in the U.S. of A. I’m hoping to …
: Three Questions Happy New Year to you, yours, and anyone else in need of such. As is generally the case, this time …
: FortyNine Dear Mom and Dad, as you are most likely aware, on December 18th your holy matrimony odometer will …
: Forever Place Here we are, somewhere in time between the holiday trifecta of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New …
: Stick It Our car has a manual transmission, a stick-shift, four-on-the-floor, actually six on the middle …
: Pert Near Happy November. November is a sneaky month, a month that sort of hides out between fall and full-on …
: The Queen I received word from my mom the other day that Marlis Glaspey had passed away. Part of living, being …
: Panthers and Eskimos “Have a good day sir”…“Good morning sir”…“Good afternoon …
: Final Note Wildfire season comes and goes each year with varying amounts of acreage burned, structures lost, …
: The Bridge I don’t know him, I never will, but I will most likely see an image of him for quite some …
: The Arena After many months of plague induced recess, it’s back-to-school time for many, myself …
: Little Log Cabin Happy August. The time machine seems to have slipped into a higher gear the past few weeks. …
: The Boy I was conducting a roundup of stuff that is no longer of use to our family, so that it could be …
: Memories In lieu of my husband writing to you this week, I inquired if he wouldn’t mind if I would be …
: DeGenerate Prior to the plague, Dawn and I had planned to spend Mother’s Day weekend in Brooklyn with our …
: Your Town Last year, towards the end of summer, we were in Lignite for a visit, and to be a part of the …
: Dullardness Happy Cinco de Mayo hangover my friends. Hopefully your feet didn’t swell too much from all …
: I Miss Halfway through many of the days of the past few weeks, I’ve taken pause from whatever it is …
: Wonky World I hope the plague has left you alone to tend to your shelter in place business…whatever that …
: Spray Zone I hope this column finds you well, or at least well enough. Our varying degrees of well are …
: Snowball Smirk We’ve had a few days of heavy snow, followed by warm temperatures, optimum snowball weather. …
: Wildwood Gang Now that our blood glucose levels have begun to stabilize from the St. Valentine’s Day dietary …
: Melancholy It’s that time of year I suppose, one eye looking nostalgically back and the other …
: Johnny Castle January is gone, the new year is old news, and reversion to the status quo is now in full effect. …
: Our 2019 Many moons ago, when the kids were kids, and so were my wife and I, I began writing a Christmas …
: Elizabeth It is with anticipation and gratitude that we prep for our journey to upstate North Dakota to join …
: Hope For the past few years I’ve made Robert Pirsig’s book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle …
: Final Keeper Just as I’m sure it has for you a time or two, occasionally an odd thought occurs to me, …
: Suits Her Well, she’s a New Yorker now, or perhaps an aspiring Brooklynite trying to overcome a …
: Brooklyn Bound In July of 1909 my Great-Grandfather, Josef Gins, at the ripe old age of 15, left his home in …
: Fall “The ground was littered with folks that had fallen from the tree.” What tree? I have no …
: Senior Partner The fall semester is already half-way to half-way. Four-weeks in, and all is well thus far, good …
: Heading North As we prepare to head north to help Dad celebrate his birthday, I ponder firstly, that after 68 …
: Slainte Each year for the past 40 years the Irish Fair of Minnesota has been bringing a bit of Ireland to …
: Eudaimonia I’m sure I’ve spoke of much of this before, but it’s on my mind, and like many of …
: Lucky Hello, this is Josh’s wife, Dawn, and I requested to be his guest writer for this week’s …
: Doc This past weekend I was fortunate enough to take part in a 90th birthday celebration for Doc …
: We Had Plans She woke him at around five in the morning, and said, “We have water in our basement.” …
: Roll With It Each summer I try and immerse myself in the process of increasing my understanding about a …
: Sip It In Happy Mother’s Day to thee who have gone boldly forward and fully accepted their fate amongst …
: Dreaming Tree Under the dreaming tree on Mother’s Day Breezes shift Branches sway Birds sing Shadows dance …
: Box of Nonsense Here we go again. Get ready folks, it’s time to start stereotyping and denigrating a new …
: Will We Nick Linn is a musician I’ve gotten to know here in Rapid City, who plays piano and sings at …
: Well Placed Sometimes I think I can just go there, and everything will be the same. That little house with the …
: The Wall The calendar says that spring is here. Judging by the twinge in my low-back from wielding a snow …
: Floored In case you haven’t noticed, it’s still more than a bit wintery outside our windows here …
: Puffy Pleats Awhile back there was a newspaper article headline that caught my attention, “Deer Poacher …
: Offal Experience A few months back we bought half a beef from my wife’s hairdresser. To be clear, Dawn …
: Things We tend to accumulate a lot of “things” as we move through life. Some of these things …
: Grade A Another semester is in the gradebook. The book told various academic stories, some ending in …
: Tradition Happy December. Many of you are most likely treading around, elf ears deep, in the rising tide of …
: Group Work Happy Thanksgiving. I’m in week 14 of our 16 week fall semester, that time of the semester …
: General Merriment A few weeks back, a clan of sorts convened at our cabin in Montana for the First Annual Colter Wall …
: Duty I was doing laundry the other day, and I began to wonder what it is exactly that people who have a …
: Our Dance On September 24th my wife and I celebrated our 24th year of “being an item”. It was …
: Time Thievery I propose that at the conclusion of any workplace meeting a vote should be taken to determine if …
: Empty Nest Dawn and I have been empty nesters for a whole two weeks now, but it feels closer to forever since …
: Whoopee It seems that when we read headlines, and sometimes even the corresponding article lingering …
: Odd Time is odd. People are odd. The blink of time each of us get to breathe in and breathe out in the …
: Signs I’m not much of a believer in “signs”, as it seems to me that we can contrive …
: Month of the Week I spent a month in Huron, South Dakota, one week…last week actually. I think it was last week …
: Economy Class To celebrate and commemorate endings and beginnings, something out of the ordinary is generally in …
: Questions It was a busy spring for the Ellis family. College graduation for our daughter, state tennis …
: Her Place About five years ago I took our daughter to Montana State University in Bozeman for a campus visit …
: I Swear “Did that make you feel better?” I have good news backed by actual scientific research …
: Mirror, Mirror I was looking forward to spring, but I guess the Daisy Dukes will have to wait until summer. A few …
: Silent Howl I’m toying with the idea of becoming a guru. Wikipedia tells me that “in Sanskrit, Guru …
: Screened In This is a noisy world, a world of sensory excess, and this excess seems to expand its reach further …
: Life and Limb My wife and I were recently in California for a conference in Anaheim, and strangely enough millions …
: Creative Memories When my brother Jarvis and I were in elementary school our bedtime was 9:00pm, which meant that we …
: Concerns Going to our cabin in Montana during the dog days of winter is always enjoyable. Well actually, …
: Certified Another year has teetered and tipped into the abyss of the past, but worry not my friends, the abyss …
: Round For those of you that aren’t on our Christmas card mailing list (you know why) I thought …
: Dearly Departed Often times when I’m standing in front of a class of 18 to 22 year-old college students I feel …
: Fantasia We headed west a few weeks back, predominately uphill, through wind, snow, and dark of night, so …
: The Edges There are many edges in life. Some we approach knowingly, willingly, courageously and others …
: Fine Mess Legends and myths are commonplace this time of year, and each generally have threads of truth …
: Ruin There was a time, not so long ago, that we innocently viewed “getting your bell rung” as …
: Quarter-Century My wife and I recently ventured to Aberdeen, South Dakota, for the Northern State University …
: Unreal “They seemed like such a real person, so normal, and so down to earth.” Have you ever …
: Then What We have two seniors. No this isn’t the beginning of a ransom note that arrived at the …
: Grandma Rose It is said that we stand upon a narrow precipice between the vast abys of past and future, between …
: Place Holders These vagabond shoes just returned from a few days of baseball, sightseeing, and several miles of …
: Good Man Well “The Boy” turned 18 this Sunday, and I, the number doesn’t matter much …
: Sundae Cone It’s been a hot few weeks here of late, as is generally expected in the summer I suppose. …
: In Reality Happy Father’s Day to all you fine folks that answer to the call of “Dad” or …
: About and Around A happy June to you and yours. I was fortunate enough to ring in the month with four days of general …
: Back-Up It seems as though the professed imminent demise of anything and everything that is real is …
: Well Spent Check another milestone off the old teenage “rite of passage” list for our son Jackson. …
: Genius Do you live in a place that has proven itself to be a hotbed of creativity and genius? Can a …
: Be Loud We’ve started off the month with a few showers, and according to most of the elementary …
: Spring Broke The Spring Break weather wasn’t all that spring-like, but more often than not, that happens …
: Cheeky Last year, this point in time marked the end of February. This year, this point in time marks the …
: Know Better I should know better by now. I should know that the picture of Grandpa Ardell and Grandma …
: Knot-Headedness This just in, effective immediately, Facebook is changing their name to “I’m Right …
: Boxed Out I find all of the titles or labels ascribed to various generations of Americans to be useless, …
: Good or Bad There’s a Zen-like proverb that can be found in many variations if a-Googling-you-go. …
: Time As you are most likely aware, another year has recently been put to rest. Rest in peace 2016, thank …
: Our Year For those that aren’t on our Christmas card list (you know why) I thought I’d share a …
: Chronic Bouts It’s that time of year. That time of year when the final few weeks of a sixteen week semester …
: Characters Mission accomplished. Our daughter Sierra’s longtime wish of celebrating her 21st birthday in …
: Roughly On November 3rd, 2004 my first attempt at “Ramblings” was published in this newspaper, …
: Rock of Ages I’ve always enjoyed a good sit-and-sway in a porch swing or the rhythmic rock-and-creak of an …
: Kids Nowadays I recently was in Salt Lake City to attend and present at a conference with a few of my colleagues. …
: Delightful I rarely watch the news on television, but I do enjoy reading the newspaper each day to find out all …
: Homesick Storms Well it’s back-to-school time for the Ellis gang. Sierra headed west for her junior year at …
: Two Weeks Every four years, around this time of year, I find myself watching more television in a two week …
: Noble Clan The Ellis clan, from the Fritz and Helen branch of the tree, are having a reunion in Lignite this …
: Up 44 The Lignite Community Calendar hanging on the wall in our kitchen tells me that today, July 17th, is …
: Independent Happy 4th of July to you and yours. I hope you managed to sufficiently, and somewhat safely, …
: This Old Camper Finally, the episode of This Old Camper I’ve been looking forward to since I started on the …
: Hammer Time A warm, sunny semblance of summer is beginning to trickle in and take shape. School has been kicked …
: Nitwits When I think back to some of the earliest memories I have of my mom, they generally involve her …
: Norm Norm was a good dog. I don’t say that about a lot of dogs, mainly because a lot of dogs bark …
: Schadenfreude Possessing the ability to order beer, chicken, eggs, or coffee with milk in Spanish does not make me …
: Empathy Our daughter, Sierra, is nearing the end of her sophomore year of college. Unless she ends up on the …
: Wild Rover I often hear, “the music nowadays is terrible” and “these kids don’t know …
: The Cup I have coffee with my Grandpa Ardell and Grandpa Fritz every Sunday morning. I don’t have Miss …
: Evolving There have been a few “special days” this past week; International Darwin Day was …
: Played Out As the great Irish writer Oscar Wilde once said, “Everything in moderation, including …
: Guilt Free Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, we are more than half-way through the first month of the New …
: Snappy I have a confession to make. No, my hair is naturally this luxuriously grey and sparse, this …
: Offal Good I hope Black Friday didn’t propel you headlong into any corners, posts, purses, or perfume …
: Times Our daughter, Sierra, left her teens behind her a few weeks back with the arrival of her 20th …
: Traveler Watch I had the opportunity to spend a few days in Charleston, South Carolina, for a conference this past …
: Rearview Mirror I can remember many a car ride, short and long, where I sat in the backseat and watched my dad in …
: Oddly Enough Happy Fall y’all. It seemed that the heat of summer extended its reach further along the …
: Introduce Yourself The first few weeks of the new school year are behind us, and all the beginning of the year hubbub …
: Dad Duty Well friends, yet another long held dad duty has been quite literally kicked to the curb (or at …
: Panther Pride The Burke Central All-School Reunion has come and gone, leaving fond memories of good times with old …
: August Amongst Us Welcome to August everyone. The month that creeps up on us like ill-fitting underwear. As we stand …
: Golden Sweet On July 16th, 2015 our son, Jackson, will click over one more notch on the odometer and celebrate …
: Just Together I just spent four days in St. Louis at our National Athletic Trainers' Association yearly convention …
: Father and Son Happy Father’s Day to all you Dads. I’m sure many of your dads are lovely fellas and all …
: Earth Bound As of late I’ve found myself feeling a shift in the character I have played for many years in …
: Moronic Memoirs III Continued…Ray hopped up as quickly as he went down and attempted to spin around and see who …
: Moronic Memoirs II Continued…The reason I know our house was a rutabagas toss from Blanchard’s house …
: … and heard One shot at something as grand and glorious as life doesn’t seem fair but it’s all we …
: Moronic Memoirs Although names have lazily been changed, more shifted than changed, the story you’re …
: Have Another This past Saturday was one of the first days of the year to have that full on “summer” …
: Elixir of Life Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all ye lads and lasses. I left the exclamation point off of the …
: What Do You Wish For My Grandma Rose celebrated her birthday on March 1st, her 81st time to celebrate the occasion. An …
: Reunion Well folks, make haste, we have just under six months to mold and sculpt ourselves into a …
: Quiet Space Well the Super Bowl commercials are over for another year. Seemed to be a lot more focus on dear old …
: Listed In Error As some of you may know, and just the same, some of you may not, my wife graduated with her …
: Solitudeless Happy New Year to you aficionados of the news and noteworthy goings-on in Burke County. Despite the …
: The Present Another successful Christmas tree hunting expedition has concluded and we have a fine specimen of …
: Brainless Bait Sometimes winter holds off just long enough that you allow yourself to foolishly ponder for a moment …
: Casual Observer I was at the grocery store the other day leisurely strolling through the aisles, reading labels on …
: All Right In general, we men folk tend to eat as if a fast moving blaze were advancing up each of the four …
: Face of Change Our daughter, Sierra, returned home for a visit this weekend. Her first time back from college, and …
: Dog and Pony Show It’s possible that I’ve explored this topic in days gone by, I tend to block out painful …
: Half Time Computers and the World Wide Web make our lives easier in many ways. For instance, I can pay bills …
: Essential Belongings Early on a recent August morning I awoke well before the sun had even thought about rising, earlier …
: See Ya Summer About six Augusts ago our family started doing a “See Ya Later Summer” meal where we go …
: iLess My name is Josh and I have been cell phone free for three days. I quit cold turkey, as quitters …
: Joy Stick Me and video games have always had a strained relationship. Mainly because I stink at each and every …
: Bush League Back in the early days of baseball, amateur teams, teams that weren’t professional big city ball …
: Boiling Point I have a bike that I ride thus I am a bike rider, or cyclist, not sure what the difference is other …
: Rainout It’s the rainy season here in the Black Hills. That time of year when you can hear the grass …
: Class of I’m not entirely sure how this happened. The other day I was giving my daughter, Sierra, a piggyback …
: Mayday Yet another May Day has come and gone without a knock on my door or ding dong of my doorbell. Each …
: Round Em Up We’re looking forward to venturing to Upstate North Dakota this weekend to be a part of “Otto’s …
: Spring Leak Well here we are…another Spring valiantly attempting to roll into the Dakota’s. Spring always seems …
: Whistless Two old Pollock’s and a middle-aged Welsh-German-Norwegian-French Canadian-Irishman walk into a blue …
: Full Bloom Family and friends from near and far gathered this past weekend to celebrate Grandma Rose’s 80th …
: Suzie On February 13th my brother Jarvis’s odometer ticked over to 40. Dad and mom brought Jarvis home to …
: Show Time I have been a fan of Garrison Keillor and his National Public Radio show “A Prairie Home Companion” …
: Altared Boys When my brother and I were approaching our teen years my mother decided that it would be a good idea …
: Infectious Apparently, Santa decided this was the year he would settle up for all the years he turned a blind …
: Time Share As you dawdle about in full holiday hustle mode diligently checking the “To Do’s and To Get’s” off …
: 60 Laps Thank you to all the family and friends that helped make for an enjoyable surprise 60th birthday …
: Flame Fan Generally I’m fairly indifferent when it comes to my reaction to the various advertising photos used …
: Adult Day When Tuesday November 5th roles around there will be one more adult residing in our home. No it’s …
: Fritz He was born on October 10th, 1928 at Van Hook, ND and died June 1st 1987. To a few he was known as …
: Mentors It was opening antelope season here in South Dakota this weekend so my father-in-law and his brother …
: Ankle Deep During one of our family car trips this past summer we stopped at a rest stop along the interstate …
: Need Not Apply As a married man married to a woman there are a few phrases spoken in my general direction, by the …
: Discomforting Despite a continuous onslaught from a cantankerous South Dakota wind the seventh edition of the …
: Bomber In June of 1943 a B-17 Flying Fortress with ten airmen aboard was flying from Pendleton, Oregon to …
: Dutch to Me July 17th is my birthday. Hold the applause, all I did was not die for a whole year…again. No cause …
: Smore Stories What are your plans for the 4th of July? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t feel like it I was …
: Standard Issue Generally the way it works amongst us humans is that a mother and a father are standard issue to …
: Just Dew It If aging has become a bothersome burden relentlessly weighing on your bent back, arthritic joints, …
: Phone Home Survey says! Nine out of ten Moms’ prefer a phone call on Mother’s Day. Prefer a phone call as …
: Hiney At the beginning of April some halfwit loony wrote a column in this very newspaper blathering about …
: Promenade The crepe paper and streamer stringing season is upon us and teenagers everywhere are preparing to …
: Uff Da Spring is in the air here at the base of the Black Hills. I wish I could say the same for you folks …
: Et Tu Toga’s are breezy. Breezy is good if you’re a Roman in Rome and your fan flappers are on their 15 …
: Drive Time We have heard it said by many people many times, “There is a fine line between bravery and …
: Smart Luck With the final semester of her junior year in full swing the gap between the end of high school and …
: Platter of Peace The other morning, a morning not unlike any other morning, I was standing at my post gazing out the …
: Conduct Unbecoming My Mom has always had a nose for important breaking news, in this case breaking wind. Somehow the …
: Whenever For those of you ascribing to the Gregorian calendar I would like to offer a warm welcome to 2013. …
: Tannenbomb Put on your Santa hat, proudly display those elf ears you strategically camouflage with bushy …
: Pica glauca Another successful hunt is in the books. Dawn and I got a nice big one and each of the kids got a …
: Spending Time The avalanche of technology that has inundated every nook and cranny of our world over the course of …
: Good Morning I woke up this Sunday morning with that good Sunday morning feeling of not having to get up and get …
: Herd Enough When I first rolled onto the Northern State University campus in my 1958 Chevy Biscayne in September …
: Paths I am aware that my taste in movies could be considered not so good by some, strange by others, or …
: Undivided With another summer shot in the backside the kids are preparing to drag theirs to school this week. …
: What If NEWS FLASH: Latest Statistics Reveal “Parenting Gig Not for Faint of Heart.” Roughly 327% of parents …
: Controllables In London England the 30th Olympic Games are in full swing with athletes from all over the globe …
: 40 By the time you read this column my son, Jackson, will be a few days into his rookie year of the …
: Gatherings Summer is typically the time of year when families, classmates, and other such groups decide it to …
: Subculture The number of subcultures in our society is mind boggling and more than a little interesting. There …
: Herrentag With Father’s Day approaching I’m sure my children are fretting, arguing, and spending many a …
: Mothers Day Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers. We had a wonderful Mother’s Day gathering at our house in …
: Good Apples My youngest brother, with a lot of help from his wife, became a father on April 17th with the birth …
: The Sub As a self-imposed penance or a feeble attempt at righting a cosmic wrong for the sake of my karmic …
: Havin’ A Day April has come around once again and our world here on the top side of the lower 48 has begun its …
: Clenching As fate, demons, or sadistic leprechauns would have it, in the past few weeks two events have …
: The Bandit As Mark Twain once said, and many have said since, “Truth is stranger than fiction.” Those words …
: BS During my glorious carefree fun filled college days I claimed, on paper anyway, to be a biology …
: Signs I drew the taxi to Terry Peak straw this past weekend and as I was sitting in the ski lodge passing …
: Pre Early one blustery South Dakota January morning the “Pre and Me Meat Co.” was founded and brought …
: Swirled Another holiday season came and went and took 2011 with it. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it …
: California For my wife’s 40th birthday, which could have occurred this year or possibly sometime within the …
: DIY Settling into a new home is a process of taking what was once someone else’s and making it yours, by …
: Thank You There are times when the words “Thank You” seem inadequate and so little to say in return for so …
: Sweet 16 On Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011, our daughter, Sierra, will celebrate her 16th year on this earth. Sweet …
: Unraveled If you have plans and if you have children, your plans will change. A simple truth that early on in …
: Recommended Route My buddy, Paul, asked me one night if the people who read the Burke County Tribune ever get tired of …
: Sacrifice The tenth anniversary of 9/11 got me thinking about sacrifice, about life changing events, about …
: Ideas Sometimes ideas are better left ideas. Now all you drag alongs victimized by bad ideas be advised …
: Gut Check VI Today about 42 people have a temporary hitch in their giddy up. Forty-two people gimping around …
: Could Be Worse Have you heard the one about the guy who took a job in North Dakota, quit his job and sold the …
: Jokers Wild Over the Fourth of July weekend a rare event occurred. An event so physically and psychologically …
: Crystal Unclear My wife and I accomplished 15 years of marriage last week. A feat that has taken us far and wide, up …
: Class of 1991 Twenty years ago, the class of 1991 walked across the stage to accept their high school diplomas to …
: Insaneship Many professions have internships, apprenticeships, or something similar, as part of the …
: Kincaid The town of Kincaid came to be on the prairies of North Dakota in the summer of 1899 for the same …
: Bottoms Up We humans do a lot of strange things for a lot of reasons. For instance, if you happened to walk …
: Naturally Some people believe the behavioral differences between boys and girls are a result of how they are …
: Barter The barter system can be a useful means of which to exchange your services or goods for the services …
: Rascal My son’s hamster, Rascal, went to the big squeaky wheel in the sky a few days ago or wherever it is …
: Johnny West My daughter wanted to stroll around downtown this weekend and visit a few antique shops, so she and …
: Coach The Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo is in town for a few weeks which means I get the call to either …
: Gawkable We humans come in all varieties of shapes, sizes, colors, facial features, and everything else that …
: With A Hitch In case you’ve been stranded in an automobile or languishing in a food coma since Christmas …
: Decembers to Remember This week’s column was written by my wife in memory of her Grandpa who passed away December 6, 2010. …
: Noble Qualities When I was a sophomore in high school my parents bought the grocery store in Lignite. “Berg’s Red …
: Lie Flat The story you’re about to read is based on actual events. The names of the victims have been changed …
: Fun Size What exactly is so fun about “fun size” candy? We had a bucket full of fun size candy bars to hand …
: Just To Look It was our dog’s third birthday the other day. Well, we really don’t know when his actual birthday …
: Nowhere I enjoy traveling and I especially enjoy traveling to or through places and spaces that people …
: Aimless Purpose I recently took up a hobby that I thought was something I would never be interested in. No, not …
: Ducklings Yesterday I took my son, Jackson, to meet his fifth-grade teacher and today I took my daughter, …
: Relatively Speaking A beautician, a carpenter, a professor and a rocket scientist walk into a bar…. No joke, we were …
: Fairly Well The carnie folks have packed up their array of stuffed treasures and dismantled the rides, but your …
: The Streak I am very happy to report that as of this past Saturday, I’ve successfully advanced my streak for …
: Nausea Rocket Well, the Three Stooges completed their lap around Ireland without incident, unless you count a …
: Singsong About halfway through our trip to Ireland last year, after several nights of sitting in pubs …
: Memorial Day I was asked to speak at Memorial Day services for the Lignite and Portal American Legion posts this …
: Gorilla Box My buddy, Paul and I headed to Montana this weekend to fart around for a few days at the cabin. I …
: Fuuurrp May is here for another go around and has brought with it the typical unpredictable spring weather …
: Culottes There’s no place like home. I think I had a wee tear in my eye as I spotted the Black Hills from the …
: Monkey Suit All my bags are packed I’m ready to go… By the time you read this I will have eaten my weight in …
: St. Mischief After about four years I finally did it. I got “hate mail” for a column… my friends are surprised it …
: Mamma Tried I have been pondering a theory of quasi-conspiracy that confession was devised by the Pope to spice …
: Lip Balm The Winter Olympics are upon us. For the next few weeks we have the opportunity to watch athletes …
: Rope Burns While watching one of my son’s basketball games the other day in a cramped elementary school gym I …
: Friends' List Just after Christmas my wife caved into the peer pressure and took a bit of her life public with a …
: Julebukking Here we are with another year gone by. Does your balance scale of accomplishments tip towards the …
: Dontwannarunthatfar October 17, 2007
: Flip and Flop The kids and I kicked off our school year a few weeks ago. Back to the scheduled life of academia we …
: Mudd Butte On August 17th through the 19th 27 riders participated in the 2nd annual “Highway 212 Gut …
: Jerryrigging For those of you keeping tabs on my cabin building progress, or lack there of, I’m happy to …
: Oranges My family went camping with the families of two of my good friends last weekend and we all had a …
: Polka Dot The word on the streets is that the Lignite Centennial was a success and I for one am inclined to …
: Centennial Time Lignite is abuzz with centennial preparation, lawn mowers mowing, paint brushes brushing, hammers …
: My Grandpa At around noon, Wednesday June 20th, 2007, the big laugh that always rose above the roar of our …
: Not Drowning “It seemed like a good idea at the time.” Have you ever responded to someone’s …
: Just Played Let the games begin or at least increase in frequency and duration. It’s summer. The kids are …
: Lazy Boy You may remember, or not, or not care, that a few years ago my brother Jarvis and me were …
: TV Free This week was “Turn of the TV Week” for Sierra and Jackson’s school. No TV, no …
: A Good Home On my travels to and from Lignite I pass by the Van Hook area and it always makes me think of my …
: Bobblapalooza This past week I had the pleasure of attending a band concert in which my daughter, Sierra, and her …
: Trembling My daughter is trying to kill me. Not with knives, explosives, poisoning, or a sleazy hit-man, but …
: The Naked Truth A few nights ago Sierra and I were lounging around the living room reading, while Jackson, not being …
: Wooly Mammoth Gentleman it’s been a week since Valentines Day which should be plenty of time for you to be …
: Chinchilla The typing is a little labored and painful today. It’s not writers block, I have too many …
: Mickey's Diner I recently watched the movie “A Prairie Home Companion” and if you’re a fan of the …
: Spruce Abuse Did everyone get what they wanted for Christmas? One “Burt Bachrach & The Village People …
: The Little Wave It’s almost Christmas and seeing how I’m the father of two elementary age children …
: Happy Ending I have a confession to make. Back in April I wrote a column explaining my brother Jarvis and my …
: Cant See Last week a man in Tehran, Iran was arrested for attempted bank robbery. Bank robberies happen every …
: Witches Snot The morning after…candy wrappers strewn about, healthy granola treats angrily stomped into …
: Super Dad With the proper motivation all of us are capable of incredible feats. Sometimes that motivation …
: Elk Infirmary My daughter is a gentle soul that loves to care for animals and from what I’ve seen animals …
: I'm Trying How many times have you heard someone say, “I’m trying to grow my hair out.”? It …
: Idiotically Insane Insanity is in the eye of the beholder. What may seem to be perfectly normal behavior to one person, …
: Digin' Up Bones Sad to say that summer is on its last leg and the structured portion of the year is about to …
: No Ordinary Life I have a good friend named Bubba that’s a pretty good guitar player and song writer. Bubba is …
: I Know It’s that time of year again…flowers in full bloom, corn growing a foot a day, brats …
: Mr August I just returned from a four day athletic training conference in Atlanta, and I can confidently say …
: Coppertone Life is full of choices and turning points, some are big some are small, some are temporary some are …
: Lutefisk I would like to commend Shelley Bartow and Jackie Jensen for their time and effort in getting the …
: Yak Catching Cooking, dishes, laundry, cooking, dishes, laundry…..the three horsemen of my apocalypse are …
: Pass the Carrots It seems to me that if you’re contemplating beginning a life of crime that April 1st would be …
: Inclined to Mischief This Friday is amateur night at pubs and bars throughout the land. The celebration of St. …
: Kitchen Wishes It’s my Grandma Rose’s birthday today, March 1st, so if you see her out and about with …
: Nine Years I believe I’ve uncovered yet another conspiracy. Valentine’s Day was created by the chocolate …
: Lasagna Prophecies My brother, Jarvis’ birthday is coming up in a few weeks, so I thought my gift to him would be to …
: Go Figure My daughter did it again, she made me cry. No she hasn’t developed a liking for rap music, …
: Go Figure My daughter did it again, she made me cry. No, she hasn’t developed a liking for rap music, hasn’t …
: Changes In Latitude 2005 is gone. It’s now categorized, labeled, and filed away into the ‘Years Gone …
: Changes in Latitude The year 2005 is gone. It’s now categorized, labeled, and filed away into the “Years Gone By” vault. …
: Classical Well, it happened. I was flipping through radio stations the other day, trying to avoid car and …
: Where's the Nyquil First off, I would like to wish the greatest photographer in upstate North Dakota a very happy …
: Mr. Clean The dishes are done, the floors are washed, the laundry is done and put away, the carpets are …
: Sashay Halloween is here and gone, nothing left but candy wrappers, belly aches, and costume rash. Hope …
: Squirrelly Something is going on around here. This weekend I awoke to the clatter of my kids bringing me …
: Pedal Fast Did you know October 6 is “National Slam Your Bedroom Door Day?” It is also “Scream At Your Rotten …
: Bumps & Tumbles Someone, I don’t know who, once said bad things always happen in three’s (or fours). I …
: Twice Around What a busy week, school started, Gabe is turning 21 and Dad turned a few years older than 21. …
: Timber Trees are a living organism, and the ones that were cut down to be a part of my log cabin seem to …
: Homer Who We moved my wife to Vermillion South Dakota this past weekend. She finally pushed me too far so I …
: To Old The countdown can start over again. My son, Jackson, celebrated his sixth birthday on Saturday, …
: BOOM I hope the 4th of July celebrations left all of your digits intact, no eye patches, no roman candle …
: Seventy to Stop What did all you proud Papa’s get for Fathers Day from your herd of sticky fingered yard apes? …
: Phantom Hand Why is that when you get a burger of some sort at any fast food restaurant it always looks like …
: Extremely X-Treme Hope everyone had an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. I also hope you took time on Monday to attend a …
: Instigator A few weeks ago it was teacher appreciation week, and I truly do appreciate all the teachers that …
: Macaroni Necklace What are you getting your Mom for Mothers Day? Don’t panic you still have plenty of time to …
: 2042 Beings that I’m a hard working tax paying American; well a tax paying American anyway, I received my …
: No Yeti Another trip to Lignite and back, and still no Bigfoot sighting to report. Bigfoot goes by many …
: Delusionally Optimistic I don’t know if I’m overly optimistic or just delusional, perhaps delusionally optimistic. That …
: Monkey Wrench In about 3 months another school year will be wrapping up. This means little league, swimming pools, …
: We Happy Gentlemen as your reading this the beautiful bouquet of flowers you bought your lovely wife for …
: Evil Kanieval Just before Christmas I bought a shiny new road bike. No not for either of my kids, for me, the big …
: Losers Among Us “BE BURKE COUNTIES BIGGEST LOSER.” The headlines jumped out at me and seized my attention. My heart …
: Resolving Resolutions Alright stop sulking over the soap-on-a-rope you got from you great aunt. It’s not as bad as the …
: Nat's Enough I called my mom on the 5th to wish her a happy birthday, because that’s what a good son does, and …
: Fad Diets and Mullets It seems as though everytime I talk to my mom a new diet is sweeping through the area. Some are …
: Shadow Puppets Hello there, hope all is well in your world. Since this is my first column in the Burke County …