Category Archives: Life in the United States

Sylvia had always dreamed about being a mother. She was 49 years old and thought her dream would never come true when she received a phone call. Would she be willing (say yes), the caller asked, to take care of … Continue reading →

“This week, the lame ducks are returning to Congress for their last bit of legislating (making laws). But no one seems too excited to see them.” That was the lede (or lead; the first sentence or paragraph) for a news story … Continue reading →

If you want an unforgettable drive, drive west from Washington, D.C., for about one hour, turn onto Skyline Drive, take it to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and drive to the end. These two roads follow the Blue Ridge Mountains for … Continue reading →

I’ve recently come across (seen without looking for it) a couple of reports about American-themed (style) parties in other countries. The idea is to decorate, eat, drink, and play games that are stereotypical (a widely believed but too simple idea) … Continue reading →

“Time is money” is an old saying in English, meaning of course that your time is valuable. The time you spend doing one thing is time you are not spending doing something else, something that might give you more money … Continue reading →

Forty-five years is a long time to wait for anything. But that’s how long Linus has been waiting for the “Great Pumpkin” to appear. Linus is one of the characters from the popular Peanuts comic strip (picture stories that appear in newspapers). Listen … Continue reading →

Friday is Halloween, the unofficial holiday when children and adults dress up (wear makeup and costumes) to attend parties or to go trick-or-treating (going from one house to the next asking for candy). (Jeff also talked about Halloween in this … Continue reading →

Your favorite band is coming to town. You call, wait in line, or go on the Internet right (immediately) when the tickets go on sale (become available for purchase) hoping to snag (get something difficult to get) some before the … Continue reading →

Mr. Ayers (pronounced “airs”) and Mr. Lopez have been friends for almost ten years. Some of you may remember their story from The Musician and The Writer. In it, I described their story as “a story about dreams and broken … Continue reading →

I live in a strange town. Quite often, I’ll drive around and see large yellow signs that Angelenos (people who live in Los Angeles) know is a directional (showing right or left, up or down) sign to a filming location. The … Continue reading →