Tuesday, November 19, 2013

To Grandmother's House We Go...

Which would mean over the river and through the woods.

Well, OK, definitely over the river, in fact there are quite a few rivers between Syracuse and Montclair, NJ; but woods? Not really. Not even once you get off the highway.

But anyway, our friend Dan Thompson and his family are heading into Jersey, not only to spend Thanksgiving with his mother and sister, but to take Shoshana into Manhattan to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in person.

Or so they thought...until something came up, and came up again, and again, and again.

Will they have anything to be thankful for when it's finally time to sit down to dinner?

There's only one way to find out!



Wednesday, October 30, 2013

One Little Candle

I know, I know...I'm late. I'm very late. I'm just barely getting this out in October, and it's almost November. In fact, it's almost All Saints Day...which I suppose makes this perfect timing.

They say that it's better to light just one little candle...but what about 20? And suppose you light them in a shopping mall? Well that's what our friend Dan Thompson does when he learns that the father of a friend of his is dying. And no, he's not doing this at the local Yankee Candle Store either.

What he had intended to be a quiet trip by himself turns into a teachable moment for his eight-year-old daughter Caitlyn when she decides to tag along...because she loves going to the mall.


And how much will it cost you to read this story? Less than what you'd pay for just one little candle.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Back to School


Yes, it's September, which means that school is back in session at the Camillus Academy. And finally, after waiting and waiting, Caitlyn Thompson is in 6th grade, and gets to have her father, our friend Dan, as one of her teachers.

But it's not all good. Over the past three years a total regime change has occurred as the Headmaster and two divisions heads have either retired or taken new jobs elsewhere, leaving Dan to deal with new administrators who see his class as irrelevant.

And yet, in the midst of this, is a call for justice…and the righting of a wrong from almost 50 years earlier.


Friday, August 16, 2013

A Slice of Life on a Friday Night

This month finds our friend Dan Thompson scooting around town in the old Jeep he uses for his summer job delivering for Presto's. It's a normal Friday night…well…as normal as any night can be that includes bomb threats, prank calls, scheming customers, and the possibility of a call from the dreaded Naked Lady of Hawley Ave.


But that's about all I'm going to tell you for now. To find out more, buy the story. At 99¢, it's less than a slice of pizza, and definitely less than the whole pie!



Monday, July 1, 2013

Dan Knows from Hair



Dan Thompson may not have grown up in the Charm Beauty Salon, the beauty parlor run by his grandmother, but he spent an awful lot of time there as a kid; and as a result, knew more than the average guy about hair. In fact, he was more likely to recognize a woman by her hairstyle than by her face. He also knew what looked good on a person and what didn't.

What he didn't know was how important his comment on one woman's hair would be...


Sunday, June 2, 2013

Pomp and Circumstance


The big tent is up, and Dan Thompson is under it for another Camillus Academy graduation ceremony. But this time he's not just there as a faculty member, but as a parent. This is Shoshana's graduating class.

And as he thinks of Shoshana's accomplishments, he also thinks back a good 36 years to his own senior year in high school…how he moved heaven and earth to have a grade changed...and especially about the four stupid smart girls.



Whether you consider this a smart way to end the school year or to begin the summer, it's definitely worth the 99¢.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Just in Time for Mother's Day

If Charles Dickens had written  this, it might be called A Tale of Two Mothers, because that's what it is. It was the worst of mothers, it was the best of mothers. Or maybe it was really the best of both mothers, just looked at from different perspectives.

Our friend Dan Thompson has a student in trouble…that is, until he makes a sarcastic comment about it. Then Mr T is the one in trouble…with the student's mother. Because as Dan knows from his own personal experience, you don't mess with an angry mother.


And I promise you…you won't get in trouble for spending 99¢ on this story.