Author Archives: George Christensen

My piano teacher told me a story of trying to buy sheet music at the Old Town School store. When she mentioned that she needed it to work on parodies (she helps improv troupes), the clerk got all huffy, saying that it was an insult and a rip-off to hardworking musical artists and he himself […]

A woman and I were waiting for an elevator on the 24th floor of a downtown building when a bicycle messenger came bustling around a corner whistling some tune. “It’s nice to hear someone whistling,” the woman said to him. “I certainly don’t feel like it.” “Having a bad day?” the messenger asked. “I hate […]

A husky, somewhat disheveled older man took the last stool at the counter of a small diner near the Greyhound bus station. Beside him sat two gray-haired ladies with suitcases at their feet. He ordered a coffee. After a minute or two, the woman next to him turned and asked, “What do you do for […]

Two of us had been waiting with increasing impatience for an elevator on the 15th floor of an older downtown building. When it finally arrived, a bicycle messenger burst out. We stepped into the empty elevator and were taken up rather than down, as someone had punched the button for the 18th (and top) floor. […]

Dear Reader: It was the coldest day in a decade. I was on my way to the State of Illinois building to catch the train home. To get out of the weather, I took an underground detour through the station at State and Lake. As I descended the steps to the tunnel leading to the […]