Rix Quinn

Did you ever have a perfect day, 24 hours when everything went right? I had one yesterday, and it scared me. I woke up at seven, feeling great. That’s crazy, because if I breathe normally before my morning coffee, something’s not right. My Dad lived a long life because he monitored his health constantly. He…

Luckily, I’ve got a little home office. It’s a place I can go sleep after my morning coffee.  On Monday I had lots of time on my hands, so I took an online test to gauge my maturity level. It said I was “childish, obnoxious, and apathetic.” It said some other stuff, but I didn’t…

Every morning when my mirror smiles back, I am grateful to two dentists who have helped me for decades.  They must be darn good, because thanks to regular visits I’ve retained excellent cuspids, bicuspids, plus a host of workable molars. I am not the best patient. I nearly always brush my teeth at least once…

The phone rings several times a day at my “office,” a place under the stairs where we used to store cleaning supplies. I equipped it with a TV tray to hold my computer, and a carboard box to house my “research materials.” My hope was to attract customer calls for writing assignments. But each time…

Although some terrible viruses are around today, we’ve still got it better then folks who lived between the 5th and 15th centuries. Those were called the Middle Ages because surviving to 50 seemed impossible. Here’s the deal: if you were a nobleman, you could live well if you owned enough land. But manor homes didn’t…

At lunch a few weeks ago an old friend asked, “What lessons did you learn from your school years?” Well, here are five that stuck to me like glue. What lessons did you learn? 1. Bells rule our life. The last high school bell, for instance, alerts us that we need to prepare for a…

I’ve been reading old articles we’ve had around the house since the 1980s. I keep a file folder near my desk that holds newspaper and magazine clippings. Some days I read about things that happened last year. Sometimes I read about inventions from 1975, Yesterday I read about the Middle Ages (not mine, but the…

At a family reunion, I went outside to play catch with a cousin. “I’d rate your baseball skills below average,” he said. “Does that surprise you?” That didn’t shock me one bit. I score below average in most sports, with the exception of “spitting for distance.” Coaches generally took one glace at me, then decided…

Do you remember the books you read in first grade? I sure do. And I fondly recall spelling tests, recess, flavored milk, and a girl name Lynne. I still drink flavored milk, but my wife tells me a recess with Lynne today is unacceptable. The best part of school was the “Dick and Jane” stories…