I’m having issues with my neighbor. One little thing led to a bigger thing and now it’s a full blown mess. Ayayay! Where’s the United Nations when you need it? It’s easy to shout “make love not war” and flash the peace sign when you’re not involved. But when bullets whiz past you and you call in for back up, all bets are off. It’s a fight for survival.

I watched a short video of a Buddhist monk explaining the cycle of success and failure. At the outset it sounded so accurate and profound but something bothered me. It was missing something.

I didn’t plan to do anything exciting last Friday but I glanced over our living room table and on top of it were 2 tickets I had purchased for a comedy show to help raise funds for my grandson’s basketball team. I looked at the date and, to my surprise, it was happening that evening. So I told my wife to rush home so we could make it on time.

When I was a boy, I would run out into the grassy fields like a deer and never seemed to get tired. I would walk all by myself, wearing my slippers to my cousin's house which was about a mile away. The thought of being kidnapped or hit by a car never crossed my mind. I would be gone for hours unsupervised and no one would worry where I was.

I got an S.O.S. message in one of my chat rooms this morning: a recent graduate of UCLA is “struggling to find” a job. Does that surprise you? It's okay to protest but do it legally, respect property and be proud to show your faces. So I’m thinking, in light of all these school pro-Hamas protests, which employer would want to hire a “Karen" employee?

Guess where I am today as I write today's little intro? I'm in a California desert --- Palm Springs. Nah, I'm not doing anything important here … just accompanying my wife who's attending a business retreat.

Yesterday on our way to basketball practice, we passed by two teens exchanging (what appeared to be) their first kiss on the steps of a fenced community. “What was that?!” I exclaimed. “I don’t know,” my grandson giggled and both their eyes grew wide and shocked. But, as soon as we turned the corner, they were back to their basketball conversation like nothing had happened … such innocent kids!

I used to be so frustrated when highly intelligent people couldn’t understand why I opposed their political and religious positions. But that toned down when I understood the phenomenon of differing World Views. Now it’s easier for me to accept our differences.

I’ve been coughing and have been feeling weak since Sunday. I suspect some hyperactive kid laced the stair rail with some virus. I was actually conscious about touching the rails but I (being the old geezer that I am) figured I’d rather get sick than fall down the stairs. So, here I am sick as a refugee in a Sanctuary City. I should have washed my hands when I got to the top of the floor but I was already late.

I was worried about my friend "Barry" who needed to get a new car battery. I was also watching some infuriating videos about the politicians in different parts of the country. I fell asleep. Then I woke up from a silly dream that was influenced by my friend and the videos; so I thought I’d share it with you. Honest! This situation really was in my dream. Hope you like it.