Remote Adventures In South Dakota

by Kevin Burton    Checked into the Hampton Inn in Sioux Falls on a Monday, settled into our room. One thing was missing.    We were two days into a much-needed vacation and having a great time, ready to watch the Chiefs-Raiders game on Monday Night Football.    The room was nice, lots of space …

Retirement Practice Makes Perfect, I Hope

by Kevin Burton    I’ve got retirement fever now. May it spark in me a desire for discipline.     Retirement has been on my mind for a while, but the taste for it was whetted during our recent vacation, spent mostly in Nebraska and South Dakota. We called the trip retirement practice. I would say …

Flip Phone Flips Out For The Last Time

by Kevin Burton    When it was time, I knew it was time. I took firm control of matters, no hesitation.    The technological advancements, the conveniences, the newly-allowed mobility, all these things and more brought me to the decision to scrap my flip phone and begin using my I-phone Thursday.     In the end, …

Visiting Johnny Carson’s Boyhood Home Town

by Kevin Burton    There was a time when one man captured this nation’s attention, made us laugh and in a way, held us together.    And that national smile began with the first five notes of that song, The Tonight Show theme.     “Daaaaa dum dum daaaa daaaa….”     You heard those notes and …

Rage And Despair In The Business Center

by Kevin Burton    Dear, gentle, intelligent Page 7 reader, may I ask you a question?    What would you say is the key element, all things considered, in the business center of a hotel? What makes a business center a business center?    If you were told by a hotel employee that, yes, said …

Dakota Territory Welcomes The Burtons

by Kevin Burton    After more than half a century’s absence, I returned to the Dakota Territory last week.   We determined that the covered wagon wasn’t roadworthy, so my wife and I took the Toyota instead.    This was part of our long-awaited, much-needed vacation.  We think Kansas is a great place to be, but …

The Road Is Good For What Ails You

by Kevin Burton    “When I hear that siren call baby, I just can’t help myself,” croons Bonnie Raitt. She’s authentic and believable and I get it.    The tune is “The Road’s My Middle Name.” It’s from her album “Nick Of Time” and I get that too.    The road is the life blood …

Sister Cities Make The Most Of Boring Names

by Kevin Burton    My first editor used to say there are no boring towns, only boring people. I am with him on that.    I always smiled at the thought of his then kindergarten-age daughter repeating that at school and getting into trouble. No idea if that ever happened.    When my wife was …

Overchoiced And Underconfident

by Kevin Burton My longtime beep baseball team mate Mike Miller who pitched for the Columbus Vipers is famous for calm under pressure and for saying “It’ll all work out.” So it was his voice I heard in my head Sunday night when I realized, against all odds, I was in position to get four …

Words Borrowed From Foreign Languages

by Kevin Burton    When I travel to foreign lands such as Mexico or Mississippi, I bring back souvenirs. I’m sure you do too in your travels.    Some of the souvenirs we bring back are words and phrases. Today we look at some favorites from the Merriam Webster dictionary. Their list is of words …