Author: Steve Ainslie

A friend texted condolences to me for my recent loss of Snickers. As I thought about my reply, I was thinking how much I loved Snickers and why her death has hit me so hard. There are some obvious reasons: I have Wiggles. She’s been a loving, sweet and wonderful companion. But this doesn’t make…

So I just heard that Florida has relaxed its gun laws. It is now legal to conceal carry a gun in Florida without a permit. That doesn’t effect me personally today, because I live in NC where “open carry” is available without a permit but concealed carry still requires one (for one). I have owned…

I have been reading “The World Until Yesterday – What Can We Learn From Traditional Societies”, by Jared Diamond. It’s the 3rd book of his that I’ve read. In it, he writes about the lives of small tribal societies that still lived in recent history (1800s-1900s) as hunter gatherers. His research included written accounts from…

When I was searching online for a picture of the side-by-side duplex that housed my Grandparents on one side and my Aunt Essie, Uncle Bob and Uncle Russ on the other, I saw that my Gram’s former home is listed for sale. This is the first time I’ve seen pictures of it since I last…

On podcasts, people frequently gripe about not getting closure. They carry an expectation that they deserve closure after ending long-term romantic relationships. Or from a date who ghosted them after a few months. Or from a family member or friend who hurt them a long time ago. They want an explanation. They want an apology….

Some candid photos of four famous, glamorous women who I remember from TV when I was younger popped up as I was diving down an internet rathole last week. Maria Shriver – A wealthy Kennedy prodigy, a national newscaster who had some of the best cheekbones I’ve ever seen. She exemplified wealth, class, privilege and…

Out of curiosity, I will occasionally check out companies that advertise on my favorite podcasts. Usually, my initial thought is “If you are offering 20% off the first purchase for new customers, then your prices are too high.” I am always correct with this assumption. The latest one is a meal delivery service that positions…

Recent conversations with friends, with my mother, and listening to podcasts have me thinking a lot about how different I am from my mother. I mean – totally different. Our personalities, the way we live, our emotional states, the way we think — just about everything is different. Yet my mother was my only consistent…

I see couples everywhere. I see old couples every day at the pool doing laps and water aerobics. I see couples walking on the trails. I see them pushing baby carriages and walking their dogs. I see them running together, biking together and holding hands. I see them working in their yards, going out for…

Today I placed Snickers’ ashes under the Ellen tree where my wife’s ashes are buried. My Little Sunshine Puppy adored Ellen. They spent thousands of afternoons in the garden together. Ellen would plant, mulch, weed and water while Snickers would chase lizards, bark at squirrels and lay on her mat in the Sunshine. Now they…