Alternate Universes

 I decided to write a blog on a daily work routine when my daily routine broke down and I was feeling depressed and anxious. At my age, I don’t have many close friends, certainly none nearby, and my relatives are all busy with far more important things than responding to my whining about my lackadaisical lifestyle. When this happens, I do two things. First, I take my dog for a walk. This does a couple of useful things. First, it makes one sentient being on this planet exceedingly happy. And second, it gets my body moving, which I am told by my health-conscious sisters is a good thing. The second thing I do is write about whatever is bothering me. That’s how writers usually handle their problems. They put everything down on paper (or a screen) and hope that solves the problem. It rarely does, but it does keep us busy so that we don’t notice the problem is getting worse. So here are my thoughts on what went wrong with today. Why is a routine necessary? Human beings are ...

My grandfather worked for a fine furniture company at one point in his life. I never knew what the job entailed and the only reference I have to it is a picture of him on an ink blotter. I don’t know much about the Kiel Furniture Company, other than that it later became A.A. Laun (which is no longer in business). In the twenties (1920s, Millenials!), Kiel Manufacturing Company produced a piece of furniture called the “Golden Voiced Table” which was a table with a built in radio. The table sold for $99.50 (without the tubes). [Converted into current dollars, this would have been more than $1200 – still cheaper than our average phone.] When my grandfather retired, he moved to Massachusetts and bought a farm. He had two large barns, which soon were filled with the furniture he bought at estate sales. He would refurbish the furniture and sell it. He mostly dealt in antiques, and I remember him being a master craftsman. I remember a T-square he made for my father. The blade was 1/8 in...