Cowboy Bob Sorensen

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  "Whatcha doin' strappin' on them shootin' irons, Jake?" "Come on, Luke, ya know it's Black Friday. A guy wants to get a deal, and crowds get mighty ornery." A scene from no Western show ever. That's because insane shopping the day after Thanksgiving is a relatively new invention. Sure, there have been various events in history with the moniker of Black Friday, but the version we know today apparently did not begin until the 1980s . Now it's a "tradition" tacked onto Thanksgiving. That Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and others are considered launches for the Christmas retail season, so insane shopping the Friday after Thanksgiving (where people seem to have forgotten being thankful and their greed kicks in). Shopping seasons and Black Friday went together. Mostly made at  Custom Tombstone Maker Years ago, I worked in a retail store that was giving away some silly thing to the first hundred customers. Peopl

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen When a pet passes away, many owners feel profound sorrow. After all, it is not just an organism, but a member of the family. I am struggling to write this. The problem is compounded for us because on May 20, 2020, we had to take that awful trip to the vet and also my sister-in-law passed away. I will not discuss her for the sake of family privacy and to guard against trolling. One of my best pictures of her was impulsive and is actually in color and unmodified. She was giving me that loving look that touched my heart so often. Looking and Remembering When she was small, we would play Furry Slipper. She would latch onto my foot with claws and teeth, then I could sweep the bare floor. That stopped when her play became too enthusiastic and a bite gave me pasteurella . I also see the big stuffed animal that my wife got her for Christmas one year and how she would smurgle and make with the boomerang ears. Walking through the apartment, I stop and picture