For the past few years, I’ve had a can of Diet Coke after dinner as my “dessert”. I like how it tastes. I enjoy the caffeine kick I get from it. It satisfies any craving for something sweet. I had no plans to quit drinking this, even though I’m aware that it is full of…
Author: Steve Ainslie
Sunk Cost Coping
Recently I got rid of some perfectly good jackets, shirts and vests that I purchased during the last 3 years. As much as I like getting rid of stuff, I’m frugal at heart and despise wasting money. And I spent good money buying all of these high quality items – not that long ago. I’ve…
$5 Star Treatment
A few weeks ago, after walking in the park with a friend, we went to Starbucks. I kind of love Starbucks. I love the aroma of fresh roasted coffee. I admire the artistry of the baristas as they make cappuccinos, espressos and specialty drinks. I like how it is spotlessly clean. I like how the…
Golden Oldie
When I was a kid, I like to listen to the oldies. Oldies was music from the 50s like Elvis, DooWop, the BeachBoys, Chuck Berry, Sam Cook and the Big Bopper. So I was pleasantly surprised when I scanned the radio the other day and landed on an oldies station. Until they started playing Nirvana,…
Same As The Old Boss
Trump’s “Red Wave” during the midterm elections that the media, pundits, pollsters and politicians all confidently predicted did not happen. So now, they are all quickly drawing conclusions about the “mood of the voters”, “what this all means” and “Biden’s popularity”. As we’ve been told many times in the past, this changes everything. Ha! I…
“They” Are Shooting People
I was talking to my mother on the phone the other night. I told her about my plan to invite a friend over for dinner and a drive around my neighborhood next month to check out the Christmas lights. Then I reminisced about the best streets for Christmas light viewing in Pittsburgh and suggested that…
Stronger Than A Hinge Pin
Two of my doors have been squeaking every time I opened or closed them. I did the half-assed thing of spraying lube on the hinges (while, of course, splattering more on the door than the hinge). It helps a little but didn’t get rid of the squeaks. After being annoyed for a few more weeks,…
4 Years From We To I
For the first year after my wife died, any time I had a conversation, it was full of “We’s”. They would ask about my life, my home or my past and I would reply: “We did…”, “We like…”, “We lived…”. It was painful. Many times I’d choke up. Too many times, I’d tell the casual…
All Politicians Are Garbage
All politicians are garbage and will disappoint you in the end. Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor-In-Chief, Reason This line, said partially in jest on a recent Reason podcast, sums up my experience with politicians. Maybe there are some politicians who actually deliver on their promises, represent their constituents and are not prioritizing their own wants first, but…
Age Appropriate
When I was younger, I used to think that rules, customs and restrictions related to age were total bullshit. This was due to a combination of inexperience, a lack of wisdom, and mostly, not getting what I wanted when I wanted it. Socially, I thought limitations by age were counterproductive. When I was 17, I…