Freddy is on the loose, or soon will be

Freddy the kitten may be little but he is devilishly clever. When I arrived at my daughter's house, Freddy was on the inside but not for long. He was cleverly moving a window screen that he had attached himself to, and soon half of him had found freedom. I was very sorry to do so but called attention to his escape plans.

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Many retired journalists write books or teach classes. I have never wanted to do either. So proud.

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Everybody has a Web page these days. My 82-year-old aunt has a Web page.

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I know this is out of season, but the other day I found myself thinking about how when I was 8 or so, I would go on a Great Chestnut Hun, scouring yards and streets for the fallen nuts and collecting them by the hundreds. I would admire their glossy coats and smooth bodies but after a few days it would dawn on me that the chestnuts served no useful purpose. Into the rubbish they would go. I repeated this practice for three or four years, I think.

It's only words -- lots and lots of them

I have so many unread books in my library that I would need two lifetimes to finish reading them. So what do I do? That's right, I go out and buy more books.

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Instead of reading those books, I could spend the rest of my days trying to decipher the lyrics of "Tin Man," as recorded by the group America. For example: "And Cause never was the reason for the evening/Or the tropic of Sir Galahad."

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You know what's really painful: when they give you a senior discount without your asking. Then again, I saved 9 cents on my latest purchase.

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One reason my wife and I have gotten along these past 42 years is because we tell each other, "Do what you want. You will, anyway."

Famous long ago

Re-reading "Rabbit, Run," with its masterful opening chapter,  got me thinking about high school sports stars. For many (most?), their high school stardom is the pinnacle of their lives. After graduation, their fame vanishes along with the friendship of hangers-on and the adulation of the opposite sex, to be replaced in many cases by a boring job and humdrum existence. It is as if life after high school is merely an aftermath. But, I suppose, it is better to have one brief, shining moment than none at all.

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Answer to Thursday's puzzlement: The Coppertone, Cracker Jack and Buster Brown logos have this in common: children and dogs. (You had to list both kids and canines for your answer to count.)

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Wonder what it's like to be a grownup. 

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If my grandson continues to con us into buying him expensive things at Toys 'R Us, I am going to have to go back to work. (But what kind of a job could I get -- punching anuses in teddy bears?)

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I would rather listen to a recording of a 1942 "Great Gildersleeve" radio sitcom than watch most of the dreck that is on TV today. (But I watch the dreck anyway.)