An invite-only event exclusively for past, present — and sometimes future residents, the Redneck Olympics are usually held in June, and always in Satank. In May of 2017, I texted my neighbor, Mark Taylor, to get his water meter reading, as I did every month. He texted back, “as soon as we schedule the Redneck […]
Jeannie Perry
Posted inColumns, Opinion, Uncategorized
Ps & Qs: Death is like a piñata
On Nov. 1, 1955, a young boy was riding his bike home in Denver, Colorado. He blew through a stop sign and crossed the street in front of a bus that was stopped at the bus stop. He was struck by a car passing the bus in the next lane and both of his legs […]
Posted inColumns, Opinion, Uncategorized
The Bread War: Carbondale on the frontline
2021 sure seems to be a year of big change. New habits (and buildings!) are cropping up faster than the tulips, as we all try to figure out how to cope with our new normal. Between learning how to bake bread, entertaining ourselves at home and cutting out the daily commute, maybe COVID was just […]
Posted inColumns, Opinion, Uncategorized
Ps & Qs: I should’ve gone to Vassar
“There’s a time and a place for everything … It’s called college.” -Chef Jerome McElroy When I was growing up, the question wasn’t, “Are you going to college?” It was, “Where are you going to college?” I attended a state university right after high school, but in hindsight, that wasn’t the best money ever spent. […]
Posted inColumns, Opinion, Uncategorized
Ps & Qs: Twenty Years Ago
Twenty years ago, the Carbondale cops knew me. I lived a couple of miles outside of town and sometimes they would give me a ride if I was walking home late at night (the nice ones would even stop by 7/11 for nachos). My husband worked part-time as a bartender at The Nugget, along with […]
Posted inColumns, Uncategorized
Sign of the Bear
Next week will be a new year according to the Chinese calendar, “Year of the Ox.” This, the second sign, is grounded, loyal and trustworthy. The story goes that the Jade Emperor was having a party and he decided the order in which his guests arrived would determine the order of the Chinese zodiac. Ox, […]
Posted inColumns, News, Opinion, Uncategorized
My Hunter S. Thompson story
Wow– 2021! So much to look forward to: a new year, a new president, a new car … My beloved Volvo traveled over 200,000 miles before it finally kicked the bucket and while I look for a new set of wheels, I’m borrowing my uncle’s car. It’s a beast from 1999 with a CD and […]
Posted inColumns, Uncategorized
Ps&Qs: Ghosts of Christmas past
All I want this Christmas is joy, prosperity, and a collective sense of harmony. But, like the jaded characters in every Hallmark Christmas movie, I mostly just feel anxious and worried as I count down the days… And I have serious doubts about Santa’s ability to fix this by Christmas. Apparently, I’m not the only […]
Posted inColumns, Uncategorized
Ps&Qs: ‘Maybe it’s time to let the old ways die’
Now I’ve seen it all. Like Donald Trump’s mother. An immigrant from the slums of Scotland, Mary Anne MacLeod truly went from rags to riches, living the spectrum of wealth firsthand. Unlike her offspring, who have never known poverty. It is typical, their family’s social-climbing game of chutes and ladders; usually it takes three generations […]
Posted inColumns, Uncategorized
Ps&Qs: America needs a facial
Wow! 2020 has certainly been a memorable year. Challenging, to say the least. The last nine months have taken a toll on all of us and I think we could use a little TLC. I’ve come to the conclusion that America needs a facial. Trust me, I have had several facials over the years, and […]