Free-Floating Stories+

when supervision gets personal They arrived at the door to the courtyard at the same time. “Where’re you heading?” Jared asked. “Sandwich Express,” Carmen replied, offering an apologetic shrug. Because he managed twenty-two women in a customer service department, Jared had to beware of singling out any particular one. He would, however, allow a one-off, … Continue reading Minding Carmen Rivera

A few recent thoughts triggered by Joe Biden's problems At my age I don’t have many “Aha!” moments anymore. Like the time when I was ten and my mom came home from the hospital with my new sister and I asked her how the operation went. My mom gave me an ‘Ahem’ look.  It was … Continue reading Throw Money

a very short sketch about how old, other people can seem I could see the backs of the elderly couple in the Burger King booth. Side by side, they plowed into huge burgers and supersized fries. The man wore jeans, his shoulders not quite fleshing out the grampa-plaid flannel shirt. The woman had cocker spaniel-curled, … Continue reading Speedy Old Age

A gay man and a gay woman try ‘playing house’ in Alone Again.  The sailboat powers its way along the Black River to Lake Michigan past the flatulent moan of the lighthouse and out into the foggy deep. Not bad, he thought, flatulent moan. I’ll have to use that in one of my stories. Jeff … Continue reading Alone Again

A ‘Sam Spade’ PI helps a client discover why he lost his best friend…or why writers need boundaries  I finish counting the paper clips for the third time and stare at the lettering on my glass door. ETAVIRP ROTAGITSEVNI The letters are cracking. More expense. Then a shadow pauses outside.  A big man. I slide … Continue reading The Bromance Killer

Stories are alive and flexible. They can grow into novellas and novels and sequels. If you read Spring Fever a month ago, you might be interested to see how it has evolved since then. I’m posting the whole story. Part 2 begins after a line of asterisks in case you don’t want to re-read Part … Continue reading Spring Fever…part 2

This week’s post is a ten-minute play on the challenge of aging gracefully. Which is ironic, since it didn’t have a chance to age—only ran for one performance. Let me know what you think of it in the comments below. CHARACTERS: HAP ANDERSON, 80, retired standup comic. VINNIE POLUMBO, 82, retired barber. VIVIAN: Gray haired, … Continue reading Dancing with the Bears

cabin fever doesn’t just happen in winter…take my true story set in sunny Italy I study the part in the auburn hair of a taut young woman heading for the beach. The Riviera Versilia. She’ll disrobe in the transept formed by the aisle of beach chairs and the Tirennian Sea. Stretching out on the canvas … Continue reading Locked in—Tuscany

This week’s story is a reminder that Spring will come. My lower back starts to cramp. Why do mechanics have to move the seat just to do a test drive? You’d think they were driving cross country and had to have the seat just right. Now it going to take me a dozen tries to … Continue reading Spring Fever

Stuck inside as many of us were this Arctic week, I only dashed out to snow-blow the driveway in ten-minute spurts. That left a lot of time to reflect on how a snow-blower would make for a good handicap-walker. And so this story… I live on a street with twenty-nine houses. There used to be … Continue reading Maurice’s Walker