Rainey Blogs on Some Days

A local Northern New Jersey man from Leonia  reported that he was sternly rebuked at the Ramsey (New Jersey) Public Library recently for throwing two empty plastic water bottles into a garbage can rather than a nearby recycling container. “I work near the library, but hadn't been there in a few months. On a whim while driving back from the gym, I decided to stop in and look for some jazz CDs. As I was getting out of my car, I noticed a couple of empty water bottles and an old Wall Street Journal on the rear floorboard of the car." (Actually, he said this is true of nearly every time he gets out of the car.) “I struggle with unread newspaper guilt, so it is very difficult for me to throw out a newspaper that I've not read, let alone opened. But the bottles were a no-brainer,” said the man, who preferred to remain anonymous. The man reported that he walked toward the recently-renovated library and was surprised to find no garbage cans outside. “I mean, c'mon, ...

I finally found a use for an old script I had written one year not long after my wife returned from a trip to see her family. She discovered while she was away that I had gone shopping and bought myself a bright Tommy Hilfiger orange shirt. The orange in the shirt was so bright it was almost criminal. The shirt inspired this little sketch. http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/11155784/ I still have the shirt somewhere, I think, although she may have thrown it away.

I painted the basement electrical room today.  It always feels good for a Midwesterner like me to complete some sort of home repair activity successfully.  Here in North Jersey , it's not all that important to fix things yourself.  In fact, out here in the East it is more impressive to have someone else do the work for you.  But where I come from it is shameful to have to hire someone to do your home repair or mow your yard.  So for me, there is often a battle between the old Midwesterner and the new Northeasterner in me.  There are other battles between these two diverse dispositions inside of me.  The Midwesterner in me desires food in bulk, which means all-you-can-eat buffets and smorgasbords are the preferred eating establishments.  The quality is not nearly as important as the quantity.  Why not have a taco appetizer along with some fried okra from the food bar while waiting for the sirloin steak to come with the baked potato dripping w...