Because that’s what beards are meant for: hiding fat.

July 25, 2010 by The Clever Kris · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Everyday, health, humor 

I’ve decided that I’m allergic to my facial hair. And that, in and of itself, is an odd thing to know about myself, because for years I couldn’t stand facial hair. Not a goatee, not a moustache, not the hint of a 5 o’clock shadow. It seems that, without even realizing it, though, that I’ve changed my mind on the issue. Out of nowhere it seems I sprouted a full beard, and kept it. Until it started itching, and I had no choice but to shave it. When I did, I realized why I’d allegedly grown one in the first place: I was fat.  Somehow,...

Read More »

After that, I ate my chocolate cobbler in silence.

June 22, 2010 by The Clever Kris · 1 Comment
Filed under: Deep South, family, food, health, humor 

This past Sunday, my youngest nephew, Wynn, who by the way is a few months shy of three and has already rightfully earned the nickname of “Chunk,” turned to me and asked for coffee. “What…did you…say?” I implored of him. “Coffee,” he responded, and then with a nod of the head as if recognizing that he’d forgotten the magic word, added, “pease?” It’s always precious when the little ones remember that fading concept known as “manners.” But, precious aside, I wasn’t sure I’d heard him correctly. I went in search of his mother. She wasn’t a bit thrown off by what I felt had...

Read More »

Butt-Dialing, or, I’m sorry, Abigail…

April 27, 2010 by The Clever Kris · 1 Comment
Filed under: education, health, humor, writing 

DISCLAIMER: Today’s blog uses the word butt a lot of times. In a funny, good way, though. Having played tennis most of my life, I am more than well aware that I have a good, nice, firm butt. Like, I could point my butt toward a bowl of walnuts and they’d crack immediately.  Out of pure-D respect. I mean, facts are facts. Now, I don’t often talk about my butt because a) it isn’t tasteful to do so, and b) I mean, look at it. I don’t really have to talk about it. It’s a little gift from Up Above (two, if you...

Read More »

This is a sappy blog, and it was well overdue.

April 12, 2010 by The Clever Kris · 2 Comments
Filed under: Deep South, Everyday, faith, life 

The last good day I had was back in 1994, in October, on a Thursday afternoon. I was in line at McDonald's waiting for a milkshake, and the man in front of me turned around and gave me $15 because he liked my smile. That is an absolute lie. I have no record of good days versus bad days. I just try to get through them, either way. Like the rest of the herd. I was reared by a bona fide cynic. I got it honest. Our world view was as follows: Bad day…well, at least, it’s only got 24 hours to live....

Read More »

Pointing, by the way, is not polite.

February 11, 2010 by The Clever Kris · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Deep South, Everyday, education, food, health, humor, life, theatre 

I’ve become a little too close to the janitor, at the college. And it’s not that I mind, not one bit; it’s how we’ve become close that I find amusing and uncomfortable. It involves Miller Light. Sort of. Before I go any further, I want you to be plainly aware that this is not about an academic caste system. And I have a previous story to prove it. Though I rarely tell this story from my Disney Days, prior to having the high-class job of character entertainment and the allure of being an Attractions Host at Disney Studios, I will come clean and tell you that...

Read More »

Five foods that made me who I am.

February 4, 2010 by The Clever Kris · 3 Comments
Filed under: Deep South, Everyday, family, food, health, humor 

I’m still stuck on the potato log. Meaning, since confessing to you about my lust and love for the said potato log, yesterday afternoon, I’ve not been able to think about anything else except food. And so, at the risk of offending some of you, I feel I’ve no choice to move myself past this obsessive food-thinking other than to write about it. So, I’m going to spend the next few moments with you, making one confession after another about a few dishes, recipes, snacks, and various other, sundry foods that I not only grew up with, but that, I feel, have defined who...

Read More »

Yes, Virginia, I am a vegetarian.

January 5, 2010 by The Clever Kris · 6 Comments
Filed under: Deep South, Everyday, education, faith, family, food, health, humor, life 
Man cannot live by peppers alone...entirely. He will also need tomatoes.

You know what’s hard? Yoga. You know what’s harder than that? Trying to explain yoga to your precious family of aging Southern Baptists. Because if it’s not explicitly typed in the King James version of the Holy Bible then it’s most likely of the devil, who probably created yoga to trick Christians into performing exercises that would get them into positions they couldn’t get out of, thus holding them in place so he could catch them. But, yoga is a later issue. First, we have to address a more pressing item, though there are several items overall, not the least of which is the fact...

Read More »

I don’t have to use a walker to pump my gas.

December 11, 2009 by The Clever Kris · 2 Comments
Filed under: Deep South, Everyday, faith, humor, life 
No snake eyes for me.

I have realized, lately, that I am, at best, a third cousin once removed from my own definition of self-awareness. I like to think I'm savvy and a smooth operator, most of the time, but I had a bit of a bitter pill to swallow yesterday, when, on my way back from Scooba (perish the thought!), I had to stop and get gas. This is hardly a new thing for me, but unlike my usual stop-and-gos at the Scooba Junction gas station, I had neglected to look at my gas gauge until I was in Brooksville, about twenty minutes north. I had no choice but to pull...

Read More »

I couldn’t see the title of the book so it must have been about Scientology.

November 24, 2009 by The Clever Kris · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Deep South, Everyday, health, humor, life 
I drew the line at Highlights.

I There’s a reason people get sick—the attention. But, I’ve discovered as of this morning, there’s a reason good friends drive their sick friends to the doctor and then spend the next two hours in the waiting room having their patience tested—the neighborhood. Of course, this requires explanation. It’s 10:03 AM, and I’ve brought Amanda to the Student Health Center. She’s been very sick to her stomach, and I felt she needed better attention than my telling her to “take it to the toilet” every hour or so. Little did I know the call to action that I was unwittingly engaging myself in. I found...

Read More »

A word about Free Enterprise and blood pressure monitors.

November 23, 2009 by The Clever Kris · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Everyday, health, humor, life 
I'd like to introduce you to my little friend.

I found myself, yesterday, in the middle of Walgreens. I was comparing the prices of blood pressure monitors, and not for U.L. or a grandmother. I was purchasing one for myself. It seems I stay in a constant state of Stage 1 Hypertension, according to my third doctor's appointment in the last month. This, almost more than anything else, means I am now a bona fide Adult. Nothing says Welcome to Life like high blood pressure. I brag a lot about how healthy I am, but the truth is I’m only doing that as a means of psyching myself out. I know all too...

Read More »

Next Page »