Word of the Week – flagrant

Word of the Week – flagrant

Referees and umpires call them; athletes deny them; politicos charge them: flagrant violations or infractions of the rules. These are the offenses that are obvious even to the armchair spectator. They are disgraceful, monstrous, immoral. They are glaring—meaning they shine in the harsh light to which they are exposed—an appropriate synonym since the original meaning of the Latin flagrāre was to burn, blaze.

The Family Name Game

The Family Name Game

A local radio station plays the Family Name Game. Each day the staff chooses a name and announces that the next day anyone with a child by that name should call in. A caller is randomly selected to then sing the praises of that child on the air and explain why that son or daughter is such a blessing to their family. I’m waiting for the day they choose Hepzibah or Ichabod for the game. Then again, given the trend of parents to create their own name for their offspring, the day may not be far off.

Blunted, but Still Valued

Blunted, but Still Valued

We had been married only a few months when we entertained my parents for dinner. A downpour had flooded our basement apartment and now a sump pump in one corner of the dining area emitted a constant drone. With a limited number of electrical outlets, a tangle of extension cords fueled our appliances. One ran surreptitiously beneath a throw rug lying between the dining room and kitchen.

Disappointment. Or What Happens When You Don’t Read the Fine Print

Disappointment. Or What Happens When You Don’t Read the Fine Print

We headed out in eager anticipation. It had been many too many months since we’d spent time on our favorite central Florida river. The holiday and an online coupon promised a few stress-free, sun-dappled hours in a canoe. Ignoring Google Map’s toll way and interstate route, we opted for the less-traveled path to our destination. Meandering through roadways shaded with Spanish moss-covered live oaks, admiring the estates of the two percent, we arrived at the park. As we pulled up to the attendant’s station, I flashed the voucher, using the app I had downloaded just that morning.

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