My Saturday was reserved for errands, including a trip to the barber shop.  I'm not that picky about haircuts, but I am choosy about barbers with social skills. I frequent the Advance shop.  There's not much in the thriving metropolis of Advance, Indiana, but this is an old-fashioned barbershop.  It has a fifties feel. My Barber’s good at making small talk; he’d say that's part of the job. As he was trimmin’ away on what little I have, I struck up conversation by saying I write a column.  Ron’s a good listener, or he’ll contribute to the mix with a sheepish grin or laugh, at times, but instead he asked if I ever got “Writer's Block.”  “I'm never at a loss for words!”  I bragged. He went on to ask where I get my stuff from. Thought...

Spring means the birth of new beginnings, but it also signals a dawning of mowing the lawn. For many, home improvement ideas begin to dance around in our heads - I for one. My wife and I live in an older home, and we had a concrete pad in front of the side door for as long as I could recall. The thought occurred to me it would be nice to have a roof with support columns over that. Having a contractor background, I calculated the material needed and began to build it with the blessings of my spouse. All went well until the day came to apply the shingles. It was a Saturday, a warm one, and as I placed the finishing touches on the day's work I stepped back to acquire my work. I should have paid more attention to where the edge was, because...