Posted April 20, 2021in Joe's Extra
The rain drizzles against my hat in a steady pat-pat-pat. It can’t decide whether to come down in a torrent or to give up and go back home. Perhaps it’s waiting until a May wedding or a fun Fourth-of-July picnic or that special barbecue with your sweetheart. “Oops!” I
Read More →
Posted March 22, 2021in Joe's Extra
“Weeg,” my eighth-grade basketball coach yelled, “go in for Brown.” Sure. Behind by 30 points, the coach thinks it’s safe for me to enter the game. But is it really? First, doesn’t the coach know that I don’t want to touch the basketball? Duh. Once you touch the ball, there
Read More →
Posted May 06, 2020in Joe's Extra
Lockdown. It used to be a term that I’d hear back when I was a criminal prosecutor and trying to talk to a witness. “Sorry, sir, you can’t see the prisoner because he’s in lockdown.” Of course, he’s in lockdown. He’s a bad guy. All my witnesses are bad guys.
Read More →
Posted April 30, 2020in Joe's Extra
“Drake University has postponed the 2020 Drake Relays.” The sporting world goes quiet. The blue oval is an empty, wind-swept desert. A hotdog in a steamed bun is a distant dream. Except at our house. “He’s rounding the corner, ladies and gentlemen. Come on, let’s give him a big Drake
Read More →
Posted April 10, 2020in Joe's Extra
No matter your problems and worries, nature is like a cool cloth against your warm forehead. Yes, Juliette, there is a Santa Claus. Sure, it’s scary times — pestilence, politics and the end of the world as we know it. Not to mention your dad and mom suddenly being at
Read More →
Posted March 09, 2020in Joe's Extra
Dogs just aren’t my thing. Sorry all you dog lovers. It’s just the way it is. Sure, I’ve had more than my share of the mangy critters. Why? Because my wife and kids keep bringing them home — over my loud objections. And it’s always the same. I feed the newest
Read More →
Posted December 24, 2019in Joe's Extra
The tall, strong-looking Dutch woman began her story by telling me about fish. The story suddenly took a right turn into speed dating. And then the darn thing ended up about Dutch character. Her character. People are never a straight line. Sort of like the story of fish. I’m from
Read More →
Posted December 18, 2019in Joe's Extra
Rain in the Netherlands has a certain texture that doesn’t exist back home in Iowa. Here in the Netherlands the rain rarely rages with such thunder and lightning that you decide maybe it would be a good idea to crawl under the table with the dog. Sure, it rains nearly every
Read More →
Posted December 11, 2019in Joe's Extra
She’s definitely looking at me. Of course, it’s just a trick of the eye. A common phenomenon. We’ve all experienced it. But still. After all the adulation, the paparazzi, the gazillion of hours devoted to her in articles and on TV shows and even in a movie, you might .
Read More →
